Microbial autotrophic biorefineries: Perspectives for biopolymer production

Abstract

The use of autotrophic microorganisms to fabricate biochemical products has attracted much attention in both academia and industry. Unlike heterotrophic microorganisms that require carbohydrates and amino acids for growth, autotrophic microorganisms have evolved to utilize either light (photoautotrophs) or chemical compounds (chemolithotrophs) to fix carbon dioxide (CO2) and drive metabolic processes. Several biotechnological approaches, including synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, have been proposed to harness autotrophic microorganisms as a sustainable/green production platform for commercially essential products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and biopolymers. Here, we review the recent advances in natural autotrophic microorganisms (photoautotrophic and chemoautotrophic), focusing on the biopolymer production. We present current state-of-the-art technologies to engineer autotrophic microbial cell factories for efficient biopolymer production.