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Biological conversion of methane to chemicals and fuels: technical challenges and issues

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Abstract

Methane is a promising next-generation carbon feedstock for industrial biotechnology due to its low price and huge availability. Biological conversion of methane to valuable products can mitigate methane-induced global warming as greenhouse gas. There have been challenges for the conversion of methane into various chemicals and fuels using engineered non-native hosts with synthetic methanotrophy or methanotrophs with the reconstruction of synthetic pathways for target products. Herein, we analyze the technical challenges and issues of potent methane bioconversion technology. Pros and cons of metabolic engineering of methanotrophs for methane bioconversion, and perspectives on the bioconversion of methane to chemicals and liquid fuels are discussed.

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Funding

This research was supported by C1 Gas Refinery Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (NRF-2015M3D3A1A01064882).

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 17104, Republic of Korea

    In Yeub Hwang, Anh Duc Nguyen, Thu Thi Nguyen, Linh Thanh Nguyen, Ok Kyung Lee & Eun Yeol Lee

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  1. In Yeub Hwang
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  2. Anh Duc Nguyen
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Correspondence to Eun Yeol Lee.

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Hwang, I.Y., Nguyen, A.D., Nguyen, T.T. et al. Biological conversion of methane to chemicals and fuels: technical challenges and issues. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 102, 3071–3080 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-018-8842-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-018-8842-7

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