The team of Yutaro MORI at RIKEN, in collaboration with Yokohama Rubber and ZEON Co., has developed a technology to produce 1,3-butadiene from glucose by recombinant Escherichia coli. Butadiene is currently produced at 12 million t/y worldwide and over 1 million t/y in Japan from petrochemical resources. The recombinant Escherichia coli strain used in this process was bred by synthetic biology technology involving four gene deletions, five gene amplifications and introduction of four foreign genes. In addition to conventional genetic engineering, CRISPR/Cas9, was also used. Using DO–stat fed-batch fermentation, 2.13 ± 0.17 g L−1 1,3-butadiene was produced.
Y. Mori et al., Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22504-6
2021/04 RIKEN-industry consortium tailors E. coli by synthetic biology to produce 1,3-butadiene from glucose