(June 24, 2015) Researchers
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have, for the first time,
uncovered the complex interdependence and orchestration of metabolic reactions,
gene regulation, and environmental cues of clostridial metabolism, providing
new insights for advanced biofuel development
“This work advances our fundamental understanding of the complex,
system-level process of clostridial acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE)
fermentation,” explained Ting Lu, an assistant professor of bioengineering at
Illinois. “Simultaneously, it provides a powerful tool for guiding strain
design and protocol optimization, therefore facilitating the development of
next-generation biofuels.”
Microbial metabolism is a means by which a microbe uses
nutrients and generates energy to live and reproduce. It typically involves
complex biochemical processes implemented through the orchestration of
metabolic reactions and gene regulation, as well as their interactions with
environmental cues. One canonical example is the ABE fermentation by
Clostridium acetobutylicum, during which cells convert carbon sources to
organic acids that are later re-assimilated to produce solvents as a strategy
for cellular survival.