Reprocessing of side-streams towards obtaining valuable bacterial metabolites

Every year, all over the world, the industry generates huge amounts of residues. Side-streams are most often used as feed, landfilled, incinerated, or discharged into sewage. These disposal methods are far from perfect. Taking into account the composition of the side-streams, it seems that they should be used as raw materials for further processing, in accordance with the zero-waste policy and sustainable development. The article describes the latest achievements in biotechnology in the context of bacterial reprocessing of residues with the simultaneous acquisition of their metabolites. The article focuses on four metabolites - bacterial cellulose, propionic acid, vitamin B12 and PHAs. Taking into account global trends (e.g. food, packaging, medicine), it seems that in the near future there will be a sharp increase in demand for this type of compounds. In order for their production to be profitable and commercialised, cheap methods of its obtaining must be developed. The article, in addition to obtaining these bacterial metabolites from side-streams, also discusses e.g. factors affecting their production, metabolic pathways and potential and current applications. The presented chapters provide a complete overview of the current knowledge on above metabolites, which can be helpful for the academic and scientific communities and the several industries.

Automated summary

Every year, the industry generates large amounts of residues worldwide. These residues are often disposed of through methods such as landfills, incineration, or discharge into sewage, which are not ideal. This article discusses the latest achievements in biotechnology regarding bacterial reprocessing of residues to obtain valuable metabolites. The focus is on four metabolites - bacterial cellulose, propionic acid, vitamin B12, and PHAs. Considering global trends, there will likely be a significant increase in demand for these compounds in the near future. Cheap methods for their production need to be developed for profitability and commercialization. The article also covers factors affecting production, metabolic pathways, and potential and current applications, providing a comprehensive overview useful for academia, scientific communities, and industries.