Genetic engineering for enhanced productivity in bioelectrochemical systems

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and Bioengineering
• Sustainable Chemistry
• Microbial Electrochemistry

Background:

• The transition to a bio-based economy necessitates biotechnological production of platform chemicals.
• Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) utilize microbes as biocatalysts for producing biofuels, chemicals, and electricity.
• Current research focuses on improving microbial biocatalysts for industrial demands in BESs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status of engineering microbial biocatalysts for anode applications in BESs.
• To highlight strategies for achieving high space-time yields in bioelectrochemical processes.
• To discuss theoretical limitations and potential synergistic approaches for industrial viability.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent advancements in genetic engineering and synthetic biology for microbial catalyst development.
• Analysis of exoelectrogenic organisms and their performance in BESs.
• Examination of strategies to enhance microbial biocatalyst efficiency and versatility.

Main Results:

• Significant expansion in the range of microbial catalysts and their capabilities due to genetic engineering.
• Persistent gap between achieved and theoretical space-time yields and current densities in BESs.
• Identification of key areas for improvement in microbial biocatalyst performance.

Conclusions:

• Further engineering of microbial biocatalysts is essential to close the performance gap in BESs.
• Combining various strategies may lead to synergistic effects for industrial-scale bio-production.
• Optimized microbial biocatalysts are critical for establishing viable production routines in a bio-based economy.