Metabolic Engineering of Microorganisms to Produce L-Aspartate and Its Derivatives
August 2023
in “
Fermentation
”
TLDR Scientists can use engineered microbes to make L-aspartate and related chemicals, but there's still room to improve their efficiency.
The review "Metabolic Engineering of Microorganisms to Produce L-Aspartate and Its Derivatives" discusses the use of metabolic engineering for the production of L-aspartate and its derivatives, including β-alanine, ectoine, 3-hydroxypropionate, D-pantothenic acid, and L-homoserine. The authors highlight the potential of metabolic engineering for green synthesis of these chemicals, traditionally derived from petroleum. The best cell factory for L-aspartate biosynthesis is E. coli, producing 33.1 g/L of L-aspartate. However, the yield is only 27% of the theoretical value, indicating room for improvement. The review also discusses the potential for industrial-scale production of these compounds in the future. The highest production rates for ectoine, 3-HP, D-pantothenic acid, and L-homoserine were 65 g/L, 102.61 g/L, 68.3 g/L, and 110 g/L respectively. The authors also discuss the challenges in commercializing engineered strains, including the need to optimize the biosynthetic pathway, investigate the secretion mechanism of the target product, and optimize fermentation conditions.
