Recent trends in integrated bioprocesses: aiding and expanding microbial biofuel/biochemical production

Microbial biosynthesis of fuels and chemicals represents a promising route for their renewable production. Product toxicity, however, represents a common challenge limiting the efficacy of this approach. Integrated bioprocesses incorporating in situ product separation are poised to help address this intrinsic problem, but suffer their own unique shortcomings. To improve and expand the utility of this versatile bioprocessing strategy, recent innovations have focused on developing more effective separation materials and novel process configurations, as well as adapting designs to accommodate semi-continuous modes of operation. As a result, integrated bioprocesses are finding new applications to aid the biosynthesis of an ever-growing list of bioproducts. Emerging applications, meanwhile, are exploring the further expansion of such designs to interface microbial and chemical catalysts, leading to new and versatile routes for the one-pot synthesis of an even greater diversity of renewable products.