Bioproduction of Fuels: An Introduction

Abstract

Production of biofuelsBiofuelsby microbial fermentation is well established as illustrated by large-scale production of bioethanol. Recently, there has been focus on microbial production of advanced biofuels that can be used as drop-in fuels in both gasoline, diesel and jet fuels with the objective of providing an alternative to fuels derived from petroleum. Microorganisms have therefore been engineered to enable conversion of sugars into chemicals that can be used as biofuels, such as alcohols, fatty acid esters, and alkanes. Here we review recent progress on engineering microorganisms that can serve as cell factories for production of advanced biofuels.