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Branched-Chain Higher Alcohols

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Biotechnology in China III: Biofuels and Bioenergy

Part of the book series: Advances in Biochemical Engineering Biotechnology ((ABE,volume 128))

Abstract

China’s energy requirements and environmental concerns have stimulated efforts toward developing alternative liquid fuels. Compared with fuel ethanol, branched-chain higher alcohols (BCHAs), including isopropanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, and 3-methyl-1-butanol, exhibit significant advantages, such as higher energy density, lower hygroscopicity, lower vapor pressure, and compatibility with existing transportation infrastructures. However, BCHAs have not been synthesized economically using native organisms, and thus their microbial production based on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology offers an alternative approach, which presents great potential for improving production efficiency. We review the current status of production and consumption of BCHAs and research progress regarding their microbial production in China, especially with the combination of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX2-YW-G-064) and the National Basic Research Program (973 Program, 2011CBA00806 and 2011CBA00807). X.-L.Z. and Q.-H.W. are supported by the Bairenjihhua Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Tianjin, 300308, China

    Bao-Wei Wang, Ai-Qin Shi, Ran Tu, Xue-Li Zhang & Qin-Hong Wang

  2. School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China

    Feng-Wu Bai

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  1. Bao-Wei Wang
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  2. Ai-Qin Shi
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  3. Ran Tu
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  4. Xue-Li Zhang
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  5. Qin-Hong Wang
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  6. Feng-Wu Bai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qin-Hong Wang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Bioscience & Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China, People's Republic

    Feng-Wu Bai

  2. School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China, People's Republic

    Chen-Guang Liu

  3. , State Key Lab of Mat.-Or. Chem. Eng., Nanjing University, 5 Xinmofan Rd., Nanjing, 210009, China, People's Republic

    He Huang

  4. , Lab. of Renewable Resources Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, 47907, USA

    George T Tsao

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Wang, BW., Shi, AQ., Tu, R., Zhang, XL., Wang, QH., Bai, FW. (2011). Branched-Chain Higher Alcohols. In: Bai, FW., Liu, CG., Huang, H., Tsao, G. (eds) Biotechnology in China III: Biofuels and Bioenergy. Advances in Biochemical Engineering Biotechnology, vol 128. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/10_2011_121

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