Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Creating pathways towards aromatic building blocks and fine chemicals.
Brian Thompson1, Michael Machas1, David R Nielsen1
1Chemical Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, United States.
Microbial cell factories can be engineered to produce renewable aromatic compounds, offering sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based chemicals. This review highlights advancements in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for microbial aromatic chemical production.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Metabolic Engineering
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Aromatic compounds are crucial industrial chemicals traditionally sourced from petroleum.
- Microbial production offers a renewable alternative using diverse pathway precursors and enzymes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent achievements in microbial production of aromatic chemicals.
- To highlight the role of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
Main Methods:
- Engineering microbial cell factories for chemical synthesis.
- Utilizing natural and engineered enzyme components.
- Applying advanced metabolic engineering and synthetic biology tools.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated systematic approaches to microbial aromatic chemical production.
- Showcased an expanding range of renewable aromatic products.
Conclusions:
- Microbial production is a viable and growing field for sustainable aromatic chemicals.
- Continued advancements promise greater diversity and accessibility of bio-based aromatics.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways
Aromatic Compounds: Overview
In 1825, Faraday isolated...
Production of Pharmaceuticals
Biosynthesis in Bacteria
Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction
Alkylation of terminal alkynes with primary alkyl halides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide is one of the common methods for the synthesis of longer carbon-chain alkynes. For example, treatment of 1-propyne with sodium amide followed by reaction with ethyl bromide yields 2-pentyne.
Cycloaddition Reactions: Overview

