A path has been opened to mass produce bioenergy that can accelerate the realization of carbon neutrality.
A research team led by Professor Jang In-seop from the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) and another team from the Department of Convergence Biotechnology at Korea University, announced on the 14th that they have developed the necessary single compound generation and upgrading technology for the commercialization of syngas and C1 gas microbial fermentation. Syngas is a man-made gas, unlike natural gas, which can be continuously secured by utilizing gas produced from the gasification of biomass or waste or from byproduct gas generated in industrial processes.
Syngas fermentation is considered a promising technology that can help realize carbon neutrality. It can produce high-value compounds such as acetic acid, ethanol, butyric acid, and butanol, which have significant economic value as biofuels or bio-compounds.
The problem lies in the strains that can help syngas or C1 gas fermentation. Existing technologies have struggled to address issues such as reduced microbial growth and productivity, making commercialization difficult.
The research team solved these problems by utilizing the fermentation characteristics of the microorganism acetogen, which absorbs carbon dioxide to produce the metabolite acetic acid. Acetogen is a microorganism that can convert carbon-based gases, such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, into acetic acid.
The research team introduced an ethanol metabolic pathway into this acetogen, transitioning from the process of producing acetic acid through the existing metabolic pathway known as 'acetogenesis' to a situation where ethanol can be produced solely through 'ethanologenesis.' Professor Jang In-seop noted, “The strain developed this time has overcome the existing limitation of mixed product generation during microbial fermentation and has achieved significant progress in single compound production. We expect it to greatly enhance the possibility of economically viable and environmentally friendly mass production of bioenergy.”
Reference material
Trends in Biotechnology (2025), DOI : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.11.008