Metabolic engineering is a rapidly evolving field that is being applied for the optimization of many different industrial processes. In this issue of Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, developments in different areas of metabolic engineering are reviewed. The contributions discuss the application of metabolic engineering in the improvement of yield and productivity - illustrated by amino acid production and the production of novel compounds - in the production of polyketides and extension of the substrate range - and in the engineering of S. cerevisiae for xylose metabolism, and the improvement of a complex biotransformation process.

The global warming problem is becoming critical year by year, causing climate disaster all over the world, where it has been believed that the CO2 gas emitted from the factories and the burning of fossil fuels may be one of the reasons of global warming. Moreover, the global stock of fossil fuels is limited, and may run out soon within several tens of years. Although wind, geo-thermal, and tide energies have been considered as clean energy sources, those depend on the land or sea locations and subject to the climate change. Biofuel and biochemical production from renewable bio-resources has thus been paid recent attention from environmental protection and energy production points of view, where the current chemical and energy producing plants can be also utilized with slight modification. The so-called 1st generation biofuels have been produced from corn starch and sugarcane in particular in USA and Brazil. However, this causes the problem of the so-called "food and energy issues" as the production scale increases. The 2nd generation biofuel production from lingo-cellulosic biomass or wastes has thus been paid recent attention. However, it requires energy intensive pretreatment for the degradation of lingo-cellulosic biomass, and the fermentation is slow due to low growth rate, and thus the productivity of biofuels and bio-chemicals is low. The 3rd generation biofuel production from photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria and algae has been also paid attention, because such organisms can grow with only sun light and CO2 in the air, but the cell growth rate and thus the productivity of the fuels is significantly low. The main part or core of such production processes is the fermentation by micro-organisms. In particular, it is critical to properly understand the cell metabolism followed by the efficient metabolic engineering. The book gives comprehensive explanation of the cell metabolism and the metabolic regulation mechanisms of a variety of micro-organisms. Then the efficient metabolic engineering approaches are explained to properly design the microbial cell factories for the efficient cell growth and biofuel and biochemical production.

This book comprehensively discusses the latest research in the area of metabolic engineering. Metabolic engineering solutions for bioactive compounds are now being derived by means of heterologous gene expression, in a wide range of organisms. The book provides an overview of the model systems being employed for metabolic manipulation to yield bioactive molecules, such as single-cell proteins, antibody generation, metabolites, proteases, chaperones, therapeutic proteins, nanomaterials, polymeric conjugates, dendrimers and nanoassemblies, Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and cell lines, etc. In addition, it shares insights into the scope of these methods in the areas of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, e.g. immunotherapy for curing various diseases like cancer, allergies, autoimmune diseases, etc.

Learn more about foundational and advanced topics in metabolic engineering in this comprehensive resource edited by leaders in the field Metabolic Engineering: Concepts and Applications delivers a one-stop resource for readers seeking a complete description of the concepts, models, and applications of metabolic engineering. This guide offers practical insights into the metabolic engineering of major cell lines, including E. Coli, Bacillus and Yarrowia Lipolytica, and organisms, including human, animal, and plant). The distinguished editors also offer readers resources on microbiome engineering and the use of metabolic engineering in bioremediation. Written in two parts, Metabolic Engineering begins with the essential models and strategies of the field, like Flux Balance Analysis, Quantitative Flux Analysis, and Proteome Constrained Models. It also provides an overview of topics like Pathway Design, Metabolomics, and Genome Editing of Bacteria and Eukarya. The second part contains insightful descriptions of the practical applications of metabolic engineering, including specific examples that shed light on the topics within. In addition to subjects like the metabolic engineering of animals, humans, and plants, you’ll learn more about: Metabolic engineering concepts and a historical perspective on their development The different modes of analysis, including flux balance analysis and quantitative flux analysis An illuminating and complete discussion of the thermodynamics of metabolic pathways The Genome architecture of E. coli, as well as genome editing of both bacteria and eukarya An in-depth treatment of the application of metabolic engineering techniques to organisms including corynebacterial, bacillus, and pseudomonas, and more Perfect for students of biotechnology, bioengineers, and biotechnologists, Metabolic Engineering: Concepts and Applications also has a place on the bookshelves of research institutes, biotechnological institutes and industry labs, and university libraries. It's comprehensive treatment of all relevant metabolic engineering concepts, models, and applications will be of use to practicing biotechnologists and bioengineers who wish to solidify their understanding of the field.

Genetic and Metabolic Engineering for Improved Biofuel Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass describes the different aspects of biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. Each chapter presents different technological approaches for cost effective liquid biofuel production from agroresidues/biomass. Two chapters cover future direction and the possibilities of biomass-based biofuel production at the industrial level. The book provides a genetic and metabolic engineering approach for improved cellulase production and the potential of strains that can ferment both pentose and hexose sugars. The book also gives direction on how to overcome challenges for the further advancement of lignocellulosic biomass-based biofuel production. - Covers genetic engineering approaches for higher cellulase production from fungi - Includes genetic and metabolic engineering approaches for development of potential pentose and hexose fermenting strain which can tolerate high ethanol and toxic phenolic compounds - Describe different bioreactors used in different steps of biomass-based biofuel production - Outlines future prospects and potential of biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass

Systems Metabolic Engineering is changing the way microbial cell factories are designed and optimized for industrial production. Integrating systems biology and biotechnology with new concepts from synthetic biology enables the global analysis and engineering of microorganisms and bioprocesses at super efficiency and versatility otherwise not accessible. Without doubt, systems metabolic engineering is a major driver towards bio-based production of chemicals, materials and fuels from renewables and thus one of the core technologies of global green growth. In this book, Christoph Wittmann and Sang-Yup Lee have assembled the world leaders on systems metabolic engineering and cover the full story – from genomes and networks via discovery and design to industrial implementation practises. This book is a comprehensive resource for students and researchers from academia and industry interested in systems metabolic engineering. It provides us with the fundaments to targeted engineering of microbial cells for sustainable bio-production and stimulates those who are interested to enter this exiting research field.

Increased awareness surrounding environmental protection has prompted the development of more ecofriendly technologies. This book provides useful information on technologies based upon the use of biological agents for environmental clean-up, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, algae, and plants. Some chapters refer to the direct application of products derived from plants and microorganisms for designing strategies of environmental remediation. The combination of strategies helps in efficient removal of pollutants generated from anthropogenic activities with minimal environmental impact. This book is meant for professionals involved in environmental technology and waste management.

Biorefineries compiles the basic science and technologies used to convert terrestrial and aquatic biomass into essential molecular compounds and polymeric materials. The book provides in depth insights into this fairly recent concept of industrial chemistry that aims to achieve optimal economic profits while minimizing the environmental impact. Chapters written by renowned experts cover, amongst others, the application of catalysis, downstream processing, biomass sourced olefins, lignin biorefinery techniques and biogas. The authors thoroughly examine and explain the value chain for biomass conversion into platform molecules and their transformation into final products. A comprehensive thematic overview on the topic giving beginners access to fundamental concepts is presented. Supplemented by numerous full color figures and tables, the contents impart knowledge about the involved techniques. Advanced students and experts in the field will find the summary of state-of-the-art research and current literature of valuable interest. Explores the enormous potential of biomass conversion as a future source for fuels and chemicals Focuses on both general scientific background and current innovations in the field of biorefinery Targets students and researchers in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, and Materials Science About the Editors Prof. Michele Aresta, Chair of the Scientific Committee of CIRCC in Italy and holds the IMM Chair at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NUS, Singapore. He is author of over 200 papers and Author or Editor of nine books. Prof. Angela Dibenedetto, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Bari (Italy) focused on carbon dioxide utilization by applying biorefinery concepts; and Director of the Interuniversity Consortium on Chemical Reactivity and Catalysis-CIRCC. Prof. Franck Dumeignil, Deputy Director of the CNRS joint Unit of Catalysis and Chemistry of Solid (UCCS) of Lille University (France); project coordinator of several projects on chemistry, including the EuroBioRef Project for designing next generation biorefineries.

Synthetic Biology provides a framework to examine key enabling components in the emerging area of synthetic biology. Chapters contributed by leaders in the field address tools and methodologies developed for engineering biological systems at many levels, including molecular, pathway, network, whole cell, and multi-cell levels. The book highlights exciting practical applications of synthetic biology such as microbial production of biofuels and drugs, artificial cells, synthetic viruses, and artificial photosynthesis. The roles of computers and computational design are discussed, as well as future prospects in the field, including cell-free synthetic biology and engineering synthetic ecosystems.Synthetic biology is the design and construction of new biological entities, such as enzymes, genetic circuits, and cells, or the redesign of existing biological systems. It builds on the advances in molecular, cell, and systems biology and seeks to transform biology in the same way that synthesis transformed chemistry and integrated circuit design transformed computing. The element that distinguishes synthetic biology from traditional molecular and cellular biology is the focus on the design and construction of core components that can be modeled, understood, and tuned to meet specific performance criteria and the assembly of these smaller parts and devices into larger integrated systems that solve specific biotechnology problems. - Includes contributions from leaders in the field presents examples of ambitious synthetic biology efforts including creation of artificial cells from scratch, cell-free synthesis of chemicals, fuels, and proteins, engineering of artificial photosynthesis for biofuels production, and creation of unnatural living organisms - Describes the latest state-of-the-art tools developed for low-cost synthesis of ever-increasing sizes of DNA and efficient modification of proteins, pathways, and genomes - Highlights key technologies for analyzing biological systems at the genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic levels which are especially valuable in pathway, whole cell, and multi-cell applications - Details mathematical modeling tools and computational tools which can dramatically increase the speed of the design process as well as reduce the cost of development