Non-agricultural feedstocks for next-generation biomanufacturing with yeasts

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and metabolic engineering
• Sustainable chemistry and circular economy

Background:

• Current biomanufacturing relies heavily on agricultural feedstocks (starch, sugar, glycerol), creating competition with food production and land use issues.
• Microbial metabolism can utilize alternative, non-agricultural carbon sources, specifically single- and two-carbon (C1 and C2) compounds, for biomanufacturing.
• C1 and C2 compounds (methanol, formate, acetate, ethanol) can be produced from CO2, linking renewable energy to microbial synthesis and enabling carbon recycling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate C1 and C2 assimilation pathways in yeasts.
• To identify metabolic and thermodynamic constraints associated with using C1 and C2 feedstocks.
• To highlight engineering advances that facilitate sustainable biomanufacturing with alternative carbon sources.

Main Methods:

• Review and analysis of C1 and C2 assimilation pathways in various yeast species.
• Examination of metabolic bottlenecks, including energy conservation, redox balance, and pathway thermodynamics.
• Identification of genetic and metabolic engineering strategies applied to yeast for efficient C1/C2 utilization.

Main Results:

• Yeast can assimilate C1 and C2 compounds, but face unique metabolic challenges.
• Key bottlenecks in energy conservation, redox balance, and pathway flux were identified.
• Engineering efforts have shown promise in overcoming these limitations for sustainable biomanufacturing.

Conclusions:

• Utilizing C1 and C2 compounds in yeasts is a viable strategy for sustainable, circular biomanufacturing.
• Overcoming metabolic constraints through engineering is crucial for efficient industrial application.
• This approach offers a pathway beyond fossil and agricultural feedstocks, promoting a circular bioeconomy.