Current status and future prospects of biological routes to bio-based products using raw materials, wastes, and residues as renewable resources

Abstract

Current fossil-based commercial products pose a serious threat to global reserves of natural resources and the preservation of the natural environment. During recent decades, great efforts have been made to increase the availability of non-utilizable biomass as alternative feedstocks and reduce environmental pollution to achieve a more sustainable bioeconomy. Several bio-sectors have emerged for the production of bio-based products to replace fossil-based equivalents through bioprocesses using biomass feedstocks. Indeed, advanced microbial fermentation technologies encompassing metabolic engineering and genome-based systems biology approaches have enabled the design and development of new bio-based refineries using engineered platform cells. Herein, we focus on recent progress in the area of microbial fermentation-aided bioprocesses for the production of bio-based products derived from naturally occurring biomasses as feedstocks. Furthermore, we discuss the application of bio-based products and remaining technical barriers and assess possible biorefineries.

Graphical abstract

Keywords:

• Bio-based products
• biomass
• biorefinery

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Strategic Initiative for Microbiomes in Agriculture and Food Grant funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (918012-4 to D.W. Lee), by the Yonsei University Research Fund of ICB202021 (2020-22-0119 to D.W. Lee), by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HP20C0082 to D.W. Lee), and by the Brain Korea 21 (BK21) PLUS program (to J.Y. Lee).