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Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable Materials
Published on: March 9, 2017
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Engineering Biocatalytic and Biosorptive Materials for Environmental Applications
Baotong Zhu1, Yingying Chen1, Na Wei2
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work.
Trends in Biotechnology
|December 12, 2018
Summary
Engineered biological materials offer sustainable solutions for environmental challenges. Advances in synthetic biology enable novel biocatalysis and biosorption for pollution control and resource recovery.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology and Environmental Science
- Synthetic Biology
- Protein Engineering
Background:
- Growing environmental contamination and resource scarcity necessitate sustainable solutions.
- Synthetic biology and protein engineering offer novel platforms for engineered biological materials.
- Biocatalysis and biosorption are key sustainable strategies for environmental remediation and resource recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in engineering biocatalytic and biosorptive materials.
- To highlight applications in degrading organic contaminants and removing/recovering metals.
- To discuss future research opportunities and challenges.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of synthetic biology and protein engineering applications.
- Focus on engineered biocatalytic and biosorptive materials.
- Analysis of material capabilities for contaminant degradation and metal recovery.
Main Results:
- Engineered materials show promise in degrading persistent organic pollutants.
- Biocatalytic and biosorptive approaches are effective for hazardous metal removal.
- Value-added metals can be recovered from waste streams using engineered materials.
Conclusions:
- Engineered biological materials are crucial for environmental sustainability.
- Further research is needed to optimize these materials and address challenges.
- Synthetic biology provides a powerful toolkit for developing environmental solutions.
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