Oehlenschläger Katharina, Hengsbach Jan-Niklas, Volkmar Marianne, Ulber Roland
Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Institute of Bioprocess Engineering, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2025 Feb 18;109(1):47. doi: 10.1007/s00253-025-13428-y.
The biological production of butanol via ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation using Clostridium acetobutylicum has a storied history of over 100 years, initially driven by the demand for synthetic rubber during World War I and later for industrial applications. Despite its decline due to the rise of petrochemical alternatives, renewed interest has emerged due to the global shift towards sustainable energy sources and rising oil prices. This review highlights the challenges in the cultivation process of C. acetobutylicum, such as strain degeneration, solvent toxicity, and substrate costs, and presents recent advancements aimed at overcoming these issues. Detailed documentation of the entire cultivation process including cell conservation, pre-culture, and main culture is seen as a fundamental step to facilitate further progress in research. Key strategies to improve production efficiency were identified as controlling pH to facilitate the metabolic shift from acidogenesis to solventogenesis, employing in situ product removal techniques, and advancing metabolic engineering for improved solvent tolerance of C. acetobutylicum. Furthermore, the use of renewable resources, particularly lignocellulosic biomass, positions ABE fermentation as a viable solution for sustainable solvent production. By focusing on innovative research avenues, including co-cultivation and bioelectrochemical systems, the potential for C. acetobutylicum to contribute significantly to a bio-based economy can be realized. KEY POINTS: • Historical significance and revival of ABE fermentation with Clostridium acetobutylicum • Current challenges and innovative solutions in cultivating C. acetobutylicum • New avenues for enhancing productivity and sustainability.
利用丙酮丁醇梭菌通过ABE（丙酮 - 丁醇 - 乙醇）发酵进行丁醇的生物生产有着超过100年的历史，最初是由第一次世界大战期间对合成橡胶的需求推动的，后来用于工业应用。尽管由于石化替代品的兴起而衰落，但由于全球向可持续能源的转变和油价上涨，人们重新产生了兴趣。本综述强调了丙酮丁醇梭菌培养过程中的挑战，如菌株退化、溶剂毒性和底物成本，并介绍了旨在克服这些问题的最新进展。详细记录整个培养过程，包括细胞保存、预培养和主培养，被视为促进研究进一步发展的基本步骤。提高生产效率的关键策略被确定为控制pH值以促进从产酸阶段到溶剂生成阶段的代谢转变、采用原位产物去除技术以及推进代谢工程以提高丙酮丁醇梭菌的溶剂耐受性。此外，使用可再生资源，特别是木质纤维素生物质，使ABE发酵成为可持续溶剂生产的可行解决方案。通过关注创新研究途径，包括共培养和生物电化学系统，可以实现丙酮丁醇梭菌对生物基经济做出重大贡献的潜力。要点：• 丙酮丁醇梭菌ABE发酵的历史意义和复兴 • 丙酮丁醇梭菌培养中的当前挑战和创新解决方案 • 提高生产力和可持续性的新途径
