Advancing lignocellulosic conversion though biosensor-enabled metabolic engineering

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass holds great potential to produce a wide range of chemicals, including biofuels, biomaterials, and bioactive compounds. Effective utilization of these biomass feedstocks can significantly benefit human well-being while helping to mitigate climate change and reduce the environmental damage associated with fossil fuel use. Microbial synthesis plays a key role in converting biomass into valuable products. However, further optimization of these metabolic pathways is required to improve productivity. The design and optimization of these pathways remain major bottlenecks due to the complexity of biological systems and our limited understanding of them. Biosensors hold significant potential in advancing microbial metabolic engineering and enhancing substrate-to-product bioconversion. In this review, we discuss the major microbial conversion pathways for lignocellulosic biomass, the development and optimization of biosensors, and their applications in efficient biocatalytic processes for lignocellulosic conversion.