Industrializing methanotrophs and other methylotrophic bacteria: from bioengineering to product recovery

• Published in: Current opinion in biotechnology 2024-08, Vol.88, p.103167, Article 103167
• Main Authors: Sauvageau, Dominic, Stein, Lisa Y, Arenas, Elizabeth, Das, Shibashis, Iacobelli, Maryssa, Lawley, Mark, Lazic, Marina, Rondón, Fabián L, Weiblen, Cerrise
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - metabolism; Bioengineering - methods; Biofuels - microbiology; Bioreactors - microbiology; Industrial Microbiology - methods; Methane - metabolism; Methanol - metabolism
• ISSN: 0958-1669; 1879-0429; 1879-0429
• DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103167

Microbes that use the single-carbon substrates methanol and methane offer great promise to bioindustry along with substantial environmental benefits. Methanotrophs and other methylotrophs can be engineered and optimized to produce a wide range of products, from biopolymers to biofuels and beyond. While significant limitations remain, including delivery of single-carbon feedstock to bioreactors, efficient growth, and scale-up, these challenges are being addressed and notable improvements have been rapid. Development of expression chassis, use of genome-scale and regulatory models based on omics data, improvements in bioreactor design and operation, and development of green product recovery schemes are enabling the rapid development of single-carbon bioconversion in the industrial space.