scholarly journals Advanced Metabolic Engineering Approaches and Renewable Energy to Improve Environmental Benefits of Algal Biofuels: LCA of Large-scale Biobutanol Production with Cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC6803

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Villacreses-Freire ◽  
Franziska Ketzer ◽  
Christine Rösch
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Engineering ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Renewable Electricity ◽  
Synechocystis Pcc6803 ◽  
Cell Factories ◽  
Green Cell

AbstractWith modern genetic engineering tools, microorganisms can become resilient green cell factories to produce sustainable biofuels directly. Compared to non-engineered algae and cyanobacteria, the photon conversion efficiency can be significantly increased. Furthermore, simplified harvesting processes are feasible since the novel microorganisms are excreting the biofuels or their precursors continuously and directly into the cultivation media. Along with higher productivity and direct product harvesting, it is expected that environmental benefits can be achieved, especially for climate protection. A life cycle assessment (LCA) for biobutanol production with the genetically engineered cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC6803 is performed to test this hypothesis. A prospective and upscaled approach was applied to assess the environmental impacts at large-scale production (20 ha plant) for better comparability with conventional butanol production. The LCA results show that the engineering of microorganisms can improve the environmental impact, mainly due to the higher productivity compared to non-engineered cyanobacteria. However, the nevertheless high electricity demand required for the cultivation and harvesting process overcompensates this benefit. According to the scenario calculations, a more favourable climate gas balance can be achieved if renewable electricity is used. Then, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to 3.1 kg CO2 eq/kg biobutanol, corresponding to 20% more than the fossil reference: (2.45 kg CO2 eq./kg 1-butanol). The results indicate the importance of genetic engineering and the energy transition towards renewable electricity supply to take full advantage of the environmental potential of microorganisms as future green cell factories for sustainable biofuel production. Besides, the necessity of developing different scenarios for perspective and upscaled LCA for a fairer comparison with mature reference technologies is demonstrated.

scholarly journals Advanced Metabolic Engineering Approaches and Renewable Energy to Improve Environmental Benefits of Algal Biofuels: LCA of Large-Scale Biobutanol Production with Cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC6803

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Villacreses-Freire ◽  
Franziska Ketzer ◽  
Christine Rösch
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Metabolic Engineering ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Continuous Production ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Synechocystis Pcc6803 ◽  
Cell Factories

Abstract Microalgae have the potential to serve as sustainable biocatalysts for direct sun-to-bioproduct approaches, e.g. for the synthesis of biofuels. Genetic engineered mutants with a higher photon conversion efficiency of sunlight into biofuels of interest are capable to serve as powerful green cell factories. These advanced metabolic engineering approaches are expected to have environmental benefits, especially for climate protection.The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on these novel technologies for the continuous production of algal biobutanol are based on unique and until now unpublished data from a pilot plant. Applying an upscaling approach the environmental impacts of algal biobutanol production at large-scale (20 ha plant) are presented for different scenarios. The results of the prospective LCA show that the higher productivity of the genetically engineered cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC6803 and its specific feature of discharging the product biobutanol into the medium has a positive impact on the environment. However, electricity demand required for algae cultivation and product harvest overcompensates this advantage. The scenario calculations show that a positive climate gas balance can only be achieved if renewable energy is used.These results indicate the importance of genetic engineering and the energy transition for a fully renewable electricity supply to take full advantage of their environmental potential. Besides, the importance of applying upscaling approaches in LCA for a fairer comparison with mature reference technologies is demonstrated.

Large-scale production of polyoma middle T antigen by using genetically engineered tumors

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 1795-1799
Author(s):  
D R Kaplan ◽  
B Bockus ◽  
T M Roberts ◽  
J Bolen ◽  
M Israel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nude Mice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
T Antigen ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Metallothionein Promoter ◽  
Polyoma Middle T Antigen ◽  
Nih 3T3

A recombinant plasmid containing a metallothionein promoter-polyoma middle T cDNA fusion was constructed and used to transfect NIH 3T3 cells. Transformed cells expressing middle T were injected into nude mice. Within 3 weeks, each mouse produced tumors containing middle T equivalent to that in 250 to 1,000 100-mm dishes of polyomavirus-infected cells. This middle T, partially purified by immunoaffinity chromatography, retained activity as measured by its ability to be phosphorylated in vitro. The combined approach of fusing strong promoters to genes of interest and utilizing nude mice to grow large quantities of cells expressing the gene provides a quick, inexpensive alternative to other expression systems.

scholarly journals Plants: biofactories for a sustainable future?

2011 ◽  
Vol 369 (1942) ◽  
pp. 1826-1839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Jenkins ◽  
Aurélie Bovi ◽  
Robert Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Edible Plant ◽  
Oil Reserves ◽  
Optimal Processing ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Food Applications

Depletion of oil reserves and the associated effects on climate change have prompted a re-examination of the use of plant biomass as a sustainable source of organic carbon for the large-scale production of chemicals and materials. While initial emphasis has been placed on biofuel production from edible plant sugars, the drive to reduce the competition between crop usage for food and non-food applications has prompted massive research efforts to access the less digestible saccharides in cell walls (lignocellulosics). This in turn has prompted an examination of the use of other plant-derived metabolites for the production of chemicals spanning the high-value speciality sectors through to platform intermediates required for bulk production. The associated science of biorefining, whereby all plant biomass can be used efficiently to derive such chemicals, is now rapidly developing around the world. However, it is clear that the heterogeneity and distribution of organic carbon between valuable products and waste streams are suboptimal. As an alternative, we now propose the use of synthetic biology approaches to ‘re-construct’ plant feedstocks for optimal processing of biomass for non-food applications. Promising themes identified include re-engineering polysaccharides, deriving artificial organelles, and the reprogramming of plant signalling and secondary metabolism.

scholarly journals Biomass and lipid induction strategies in microalgae for biofuel production and other applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Alishah Aratboni ◽  
Nahid Rafiei ◽  
Raul Garcia-Granados ◽  
Abbas Alemzadeh ◽  
José Rubén Morones-Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Content ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Lipid Production ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Microalgae Biomass

Abstract The use of fossil fuels has been strongly related to critical problems currently affecting society, such as: global warming, global greenhouse effects and pollution. These problems have affected the homeostasis of living organisms worldwide at an alarming rate. Due to this, it is imperative to look for alternatives to the use of fossil fuels and one of the relevant substitutes are biofuels. There are different types of biofuels (categories and generations) that have been previously explored, but recently, the use of microalgae has been strongly considered for the production of biofuels since they present a series of advantages over other biofuel production sources: (a) they don’t need arable land to grow and therefore do not compete with food crops (like biofuels produced from corn, sugar cane and other plants) and; (b) they exhibit rapid biomass production containing high oil contents, at least 15 to 20 times higher than land based oleaginous crops. Hence, these unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms have received great attention from researches to use them in the large-scale production of biofuels. However, one disadvantage of using microalgae is the high economic cost due to the low-yields of lipid content in the microalgae biomass. Thus, development of different methods to enhance microalgae biomass, as well as lipid content in the microalgae cells, would lead to the development of a sustainable low-cost process to produce biofuels. Within the last 10 years, many studies have reported different methods and strategies to induce lipid production to obtain higher lipid accumulation in the biomass of microalgae cells; however, there is not a comprehensive review in the literature that highlights, compares and discusses these strategies. Here, we review these strategies which include modulating light intensity in cultures, controlling and varying CO2 levels and temperature, inducing nutrient starvation in the culture, the implementation of stress by incorporating heavy metal or inducing a high salinity condition, and the use of metabolic and genetic engineering techniques coupled with nanotechnology.

scholarly journals Large-scale production of polyoma middle T antigen by using genetically engineered tumors.

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 1795-1799 ◽  
Author(s):  
D R Kaplan ◽  
B Bockus ◽  
T M Roberts ◽  
J Bolen ◽  
M Israel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nude Mice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
T Antigen ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Metallothionein Promoter ◽  
Polyoma Middle T Antigen ◽  
Nih 3T3

A recombinant plasmid containing a metallothionein promoter-polyoma middle T cDNA fusion was constructed and used to transfect NIH 3T3 cells. Transformed cells expressing middle T were injected into nude mice. Within 3 weeks, each mouse produced tumors containing middle T equivalent to that in 250 to 1,000 100-mm dishes of polyomavirus-infected cells. This middle T, partially purified by immunoaffinity chromatography, retained activity as measured by its ability to be phosphorylated in vitro. The combined approach of fusing strong promoters to genes of interest and utilizing nude mice to grow large quantities of cells expressing the gene provides a quick, inexpensive alternative to other expression systems.

scholarly journals Yeast Actin-Related Protein ARP6 Negatively RegulatesAgrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Yeast Cell

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumei Luo ◽  
Zikai Chen ◽  
Detu Zhu ◽  
Haitao Tu ◽  
Shen Quan Pan
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Engineering ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Transformation Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Related Protein ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms

The yeasts, includingSaccharomyces cerevisiaeandPichia pastoris, are single-cell eukaryotic organisms that can serve as models for human genetic diseases and hosts for large scale production of recombinant proteins in current biopharmaceutical industry. Thus, efficient genetic engineering tools for yeasts are of great research and economic values.Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AMT) can transfer T-DNA into yeast cells as a method for genetic engineering. However, how the T-DNA is transferred into the yeast cells is not well established yet. Here our genetic screening of yeast knockout mutants identified a yeast actin-related proteinARP6as a negative regulator of AMT.ARP6is a critical member of the SWR1 chromatin remodeling complex (SWR-C); knocking out some other components of the complex also increased the transformation efficiency, suggesting thatARP6might regulate AMT via SWR-C. Moreover, knockout ofARP6led to disruption of microtubule integrity, higher uptake and degradation of virulence proteins, and increased DNA stability inside the cells, all of which resulted in enhanced transformation efficiency. Our findings have identified molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating AMT and a potential target for enhancing the transformation efficiency in yeast cells.

scholarly journals Cannabis sativa: From Therapeutic Uses to Micropropagation and Beyond

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2078
Author(s):  
Tristan K. Adams ◽  
Nqobile A. Masondo ◽  
Pholoso Malatsi ◽  
Nokwanda P. Makunga
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Culture ◽  
Genetic Engineering ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Indirect Organogenesis ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industries

The development of a protocol for the large-scale production of Cannabis and its variants with little to no somaclonal variation or disease for pharmaceutical and for other industrial use has been an emerging area of research. A limited number of protocols have been developed around the world, obtained through a detailed literature search using web-based database searches, e.g., Scopus, Web of Science (WoS) and Google Scholar. This article reviews the advances made in relation to Cannabis tissue culture and micropropagation, such as explant choice and decontamination of explants, direct and indirect organogenesis, rooting, acclimatisation and a few aspects of genetic engineering. Since Cannabis micropropagation systems are fairly new fields, combinations of plant growth regulator experiments are needed to gain insight into the development of direct and indirect organogenesis protocols that are able to undergo the acclimation stage and maintain healthy plants desirable to the Cannabis industry. A post-culture analysis of Cannabis phytochemistry after the acclimatisation stage is lacking in a majority of the reviewed studies, and for in vitro propagation protocols to be accepted by the pharmaceutical industries, phytochemical and possibly pharmacological research need to be undertaken in order to ascertain the integrity of the generated plant material. It is rather difficult to obtain industrially acceptable micropropagation regimes as recalcitrance to the regeneration of in vitro cultured plants remains a major concern and this impedes progress in the application of genetic modification technologies and gene editing tools to be used routinely for the improvement of Cannabis genotypes that are used in various industries globally. In the future, with more reliable plant tissue culture-based propagation that generates true-to-type plants that have known genetic and metabolomic integrity, the use of genetic engineering systems including “omics” technologies such as next-generation sequencing and fast-evolving gene editing tools could be implemented to speed up the identification of novel genes and mechanisms involved in the biosynthesis of Cannabis phytochemicals for large-scale production.

scholarly journals Oil crops in biofuel applications: South Africa gearing up for a bio-based economy

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
BB Marvey
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Oil Crops ◽  
Crude Oil Prices ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Large Fluctuations ◽  
The World

Large fluctuations in crude oil prices and the diminishing oil supply have left economies vulnerable to energy shortages thus placing an enormous pressure on nations around the world to seriously consider alternative renewable resources as feedstock in biofuel applications. Apart from energy security reasons, biofuels offer other advantages over their petroleum counterparts in that they contribute to the reduction in green- house gas emissions and to sustainable development. Just a few decades after discontinuing its large scale production of bioethanol for use as en- gine fuel, South Africa (SA) is again on its way to resuscitating its biofuel industry. Herein an overview is presented on South Africa’s oilseed and biofuel production, biofuels industrial strategy, industry readiness, chal- lenges in switching to biofuels and the strategies to overcome potential obstacles.

scholarly journals A Review of Energy Consumption in the Acquisition of Bio-Feedstock for Microalgae Biofuel Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8873
Author(s):  
Minghao Chen ◽  
Yixuan Chen ◽  
Qingtao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Biomass Concentration ◽  
Biomass Productivity ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Culture Methods ◽  
Cultivation System ◽  
Cultivation Systems

Microalgae biofuel is expected to be an ideal alternative to fossil fuels to mitigate the effects of climate change and the energy crisis. However, the production process of microalgae biofuel is sometimes considered to be energy intensive and uneconomical, which limits its large-scale production. Several cultivation systems are used to acquire feedstock for microalgal biofuels production. The energy consumption of different cultivation systems is different, and the concentration of culture medium (microalgae cells contained in the unit volume of medium) and other properties of microalgae vary with the culture methods, which affects the energy consumption of subsequent processes. This review compared the energy consumption of different cultivation systems, including the open pond system, four types of closed photobioreactor (PBR) systems, and the hybrid cultivation system, and the energy consumption of the subsequent harvesting process. The biomass concentration and areal biomass production of every cultivation system were also analyzed. The results show that the flat-panel PBRs and the column PBRs are both preferred for large-scale biofuel production for high biomass productivity.

scholarly journals Advances and Prospects of Phenolic Acids Production, Biorefinery and Analysis

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egle Valanciene ◽  
Ilona Jonuskiene ◽  
Michail Syrpas ◽  
Ernesta Augustiniene ◽  
Paulius Matulis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Acids ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Microbial Cell ◽  
Free Radical Scavengers ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Biotechnological Production ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Microbial Cell Factories ◽  
Cell Factories

Biotechnological production of phenolic acids is attracting increased interest due to their superior antioxidant activity, as well as other antimicrobial, dietary, and health benefits. As secondary metabolites, primarily found in plants and fungi, they are effective free radical scavengers due to the phenolic group available in their structure. Therefore, phenolic acids are widely utilised by pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and chemical industries. A demand for phenolic acids is mostly satisfied by utilising chemically synthesised compounds, with only a low quantity obtained from natural sources. As an alternative to chemical synthesis, environmentally friendly bio-based technologies are necessary for development in large-scale production. One of the most promising sustainable technologies is the utilisation of microbial cell factories for biosynthesis of phenolic acids. In this paper, we perform a systematic comparison of the best known natural sources of phenolic acids. The advances and prospects in the development of microbial cell factories for biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds are discussed in more detail. A special consideration is given to the modern production methods and analytics of phenolic acids.

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