Advances in consolidated bioprocessing using synthetic cellulosomes

The primary obstacle impeding the more widespread use of biomass for energy and chemical production is the absence of a low-cost technology for overcoming their recalcitrant nature. It has been shown that the overall cost can be reduced by using a consolidated' bioprocessing (CBP) approach, in which enzyme production, biomass hydrolysis, and sugar fermentation can be combined. Cellulosomes are enzyme complexes found in many anaerobic microorganisms that are highly efficient for biomass depolymerization. While initial efforts to display synthetic cellulosomes have been successful, the overall conversion is still low for practical use. This limitation has been partially alleviated by displaying more complex cellulsome structures either via adaptive assembly or by using synthetic consortia. Since synthetic cellulosome nanostructures have also been created using either protein nanoparticles or DNA as a scaffold, there is the potential to tether these nanostructures onto living cells in order to further enhance the overall efficiency.

Automated summary

The widespread use of biomass for energy and chemical production is hindered by its recalcitrant nature. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) can reduce overall cost by combining enzyme production, biomass hydrolysis, and sugar fermentation. Cellulosomes found in anaerobic microorganisms are efficient for biomass depolymerization. However, the conversion rate of synthetic cellulosomes is currently low. Displaying more complex cellulosome structures and tethering them onto living cells hold the potential to enhance overall efficiency.