Grand Research Challenges for Sustainable Industrial Biotechnology
Adrie J. J. Straathofa b✉, A. Wahlb, Kirsten R. Benjaminc, Ralf Takorsd, Nick J. P. Wierckxe f, Henk J. Noormanb g
- aDelft University of Technology, Department of Biotechnology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.j.j.straathof@tudelft.nl
- bDelft University of Technology, Department of Biotechnology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
- cAmyris, 5885 Hollis Street, Suite 100, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
- dInstitute of Biochemical Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- eInstitute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-1) - Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- fInstitute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-1) – Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- gDSM Biotechnology Center, PO Box 1, 2600 MA Delft, The Netherlands
- ✉Corresponding author
Papers open inside SciRah from the original publisher or repository; SciRah never hosts them.
Abstract
Future manufacturing will focus on new, improved products as well as on new and enhanced production methods. Recent biotechnological and scientific advances, such as CRISPR/Cas and various omic technologies, pave the way to exciting novel biotechnological research, development, and commercialization of new sustainable products. Rigorous mathematical descriptions of microbial cells and consortia thereof will enable deeper biological understanding and lead to powerful in silico cellular models. Biological engineering, namely model-based design together with synthetic biology, will accelerate the construction of robust and high-performing microorganisms. Using these organisms, and ambitions towards zero-concepts with respect to emissions and excess resources in bioprocess engineering, industrial biotechnology is expected to become highly integrated into sustainable generations of technology systems.