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Thermophilic, Heterotrophic Anaerobes—Recent Advances in Phylogeny and Biotechnology

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2025 | Viewed by 1578

Special Issue Editor


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Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, 600 Akureyri, Iceland
Interests: bioethanol; biohydrogen; thermophiles; anaerobic; fine chemicals; biotechnology; genetic engineering
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hot environments are home to a wide variety of thermophilic anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms. Aerobic thermophiles have received most of the interest in the past but thermophilic, heterotrophic, anaerobes have received less attention. Thermophilic bacteria within the genera of Thermoanaerobacter, Caldanaerobacter, Clostridium, Thermoanaerobacterium, Caldicellulosiruptor, Thermotoga, and Caloramator are well-known thermophilic, anaerobic bacteria that produce a wide variety of end products from various carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids. Some species within these genera have been studied because of their capacity to produce biofuels (ethanol and hydrogen) from sugars and complex biomass. Recently, some members within some of these genera have been used for the production of fine chemicals, e.g., 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, branched-chain alcohols from sugars and amino acids. Increased attention has also been on the genetic engineering of these bacteria, to e.g., eliminate the production of undesired end products and/or to increase the production of the desired product. The main aim of this special issue is to provide an overview of recent advances in studies concerning the phylogeny and physiology of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic anaerobes, both fundamental activities, and to their applications in biotechnology. Emphasis will be on the molecular methods to identify thermophilic anaerobic bacteria as well as on their physiology and capacity to produce biofuels (hydrogen and ethanol) and fine chemicals (1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, high carbon alcohols). Additionally, the production and use of thermophilic/tolerant enzymes used in industrial processes will be focused upon, and the latest developments in genetic engineering in the field.

Prof. Dr. Johann Örlygsson
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • thermophilic
  • anaerobe
  • genetic engineering
  • biofuels
  • fine chemicals
  • enzymes

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 1430 KiB  
Article
Biotechnological Prospects of Thermoanerobacter AK15: End-Product Formation from Carbohydrates, Amino Acids, and Lignocellulosic and Macroalgae Hydrolysates
by Johann Orlygsson and Sean Michael Scully
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(6), 3490; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063490 - 20 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1105
Abstract
The conversion of lignocellulosic and algal biomass by thermophilic bacteria has been an area of active investigation. Thermoanaerobacter species have proven to be particularly capable in the production of bioethanol and biohydrogen from lignocellulosic biomass, although detailed studies of their abilities to utilize [...] Read more.
The conversion of lignocellulosic and algal biomass by thermophilic bacteria has been an area of active investigation. Thermoanaerobacter species have proven to be particularly capable in the production of bioethanol and biohydrogen from lignocellulosic biomass, although detailed studies of their abilities to utilize the full gamut of carbohydrate, amino acids, and proteins encountered in biomass hydrolysates are seldom comprehensively examined. Here, we re-evaluate the ability of Thermoanaerobacter strain AK15, a highly ethanologenic strain previously isolated from a hot spring in Iceland. Similar to other Thermoanaerobacter species, the strain degraded a wide range of mono- and di-saccharides and produced a maximum of 1.57 mol ethanol per mol of glucose degraded at high liquid–gas phase ratios. The ability of strain AK15 to utilize amino acids in the presence of thiosulfate is limited to the branched-chain amino acids as well as serine and threonine. Similar to other Thermoanaerobacter species, strain AK15 produces a mixture of branched-chain fatty acids and alcohols, making the strain of interest as a potential source of longer-chain alcohols. Finally, the strain was also shown to use butyrate as an electron sink during glucose degradation resulting in the reduced product butanol, in addition to end-products produced from glucose. Thus, strain AK15 is a promising candidate for ethanol and higher-order alcohols from a range of lignocellulosic and algal biomass. Full article
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