In a recent review published in Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts, a research team led by Associated Professor WANG Peng from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Dr. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro from Imperial College London, provided a comprehensive overview of ethanol as a renewable carbon source for producing various high-value products, offering new perspectives for the development of eco-friendly industrial biotechnology processes.

Industrial biotechnology often relies on microbes to convert carbohydrate substrates from sugar- or starch-rich crops to valuable products. However, this reliance poses challenges as the global population grows and food scarcity worsens. Therefore, it is urgent to explore renewable carbon sources that do not compete with food supplies for sustainable bioprocessing.

Researchers presented a comprehensive analysis in this study, revealing the unique advantages of ethanol as a renewable substrate, summarizing microbial ethanol metabolism pathways and ethanol tolerance mechanisms, which provided a theoretical foundation for engineering industrial strains.

The study also reviewed latest advancements in ethanol biosynthesis and ethanol-based biomanufacturing, including the production of high-value chemicals such as bioplastics, pharmaceutical precursors, and organic acids. 

The researchers also discussed the potential challenges and outlined future research directions of ethanol-based biomanufacturing.

This research offers an alternative solution to the resource challenges faced by the biomanufacturing industry, contributing to reducing resource pressures and advancing sustainable, green development.

Ethanol biosynthesis and ethanol-based biomanufacturing (Image by SUN Manman)