Linking Microbial Genomics to Renewable Energy Production and Global Carbon Management

Abstract

The diminishing concentration of available fossil fuels and increasing global demand of energy have obligated the need for the production of alternate fuels to current petroleum-based fuels. Microbes have the potential to render renewable and sustainable energy sources that are carbon-neutral to counter the elevated concentration of greenhouse gases in the substantial climate changes. Various advancements in sequencing technologies have enabled the study of the microbial diversity and interpreting the variations within the entire genome of organisms and concluding the most feasible pathway of substrate utilization in a comparatively cheaper and faster way. To completely exploit the biofuel-producing potential of these microbes, various genomes have been sequenced and are now available for study. Computational approaches like functional genomics, genome-scale metabolic engineering, and flux balance analysis can be used to improve the H2-producing efficiencies of microbes. Many microorganisms like Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08 are reported to have a high rate of H2 production, and its draft genome was generated at DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) using Illumina data. The C. perfringens strain JJC was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq benchtop sequencer which uses a vast variety of carbohydrates producing acetate, butyrate, lactate, ethanol, H2, and carbon dioxide and has various industrial applications. Access to multiple microalgal genome sequences now provides opportunities for application of “omic” approaches to decipher algal lipid metabolism and identify gene targets for the development of potentially engineered strains with optimized lipid content from which biofuel can be produced.