Increasing energy costs and environmental concerns have directed efforts toward the cost effective microbial production of advanced fuels and chemicals from plant biomass.  Primary goals include the production of high-energy fuels and �consolidated bioprocesses� featuring one-step conversion of plant biomass without addition of expensive, saccharolytic enzymes. Unlike ethanol, butanol, and other short-chain alcohols, fatty acid-derived molecules are more energy rich, are not toxic to the production host, and phase separate from the fermentation broth saving the energy that would normally be required for distillation.   Here we demonstrate the engineering of Escherichia coli to produce biodiesel directly from simple sugar or hemicellulose, a major component of plant-derived biomass.

Metabolic engineering of <i>Escherichia coli</i> for the production of fatty acid-derived chemicals from plant biomass

239th National Meeting (2010)

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Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the production of fatty acid-derived chemicals from plant biomass