Towards the sustainable production of bulk-chemicals using biotechnology

John M. Woodley*

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

The design and development of new routes for the production of sustainable bulk-chemicals requires focus on feedstock, conversion technology and downstream product recovery. This brief article discusses some of the constraints with using fermentation and suggests the removal of some constraints by using microbial biocatalysis or enzyme biocatalysis, which give a number of benefits in the context of the requirements for bulk-chemical production. Some potential process concepts are described, for products in the suitable low-price range. These examples (biodiesel, furfurals and amines) are used to illustrate the power of biocatalysis. Suggestions for future research efforts beyond molecular biology, involving process-based concepts, are also discussed.
Original languageEnglish
JournalNew Biotechnology
Volume59
Pages (from-to)59-64
ISSN1871-6784
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • Fermentation
  • Two-stage fermentation
  • Microbial biocatalysis
  • Enzyme biocatalysis
  • Sustainability
  • Bulk-chemicals

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