Toward realization of new biorefinery industries using corynebacterium glutamicum

Abstract

Biorefinery technologies for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals by bioprocesses using biomass resources as a feedstock have been extensively studied worldwide, aiming at construction of a society in the twenty-first century based on non-fossil renewable resources. The leading commercial production of bioethanol uses starch biomass (grains) as a feedstock. Because of concern about competition with food resources, the use of non-food biomass such as agricultural residues and energy crops is required. However, the lignocellulosic biomass contains significant amounts of C5 sugars such as xylose and arabinose, which present utilization difficulties for the microorganisms being used. This chapter describes our research and development at the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) of growth-arrested bioprocesses using Corynebacterium glutamicum, an industrially useful bacterium. We constructed a genetically engineered strain that can consume xylose and arabinose at the same rate as innately preferred glucose without cell growth under oxygen deprivation. The efficient and simultaneous utilization of C6 and C5 sugars is advantageous for solution of the key technological barriers to realization of biorefinery industries.