Recent trends in microbial production of alkanes

Abstract

Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons characterized by their stable chemical properties and multiple uses in the energy sector. Although alkanes are found in nature in various sources like natural gas and petroleum, microbial alkane production has become a promising way to develop sustainable biofuels. Alkanes are produced by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast, and algae via particular metabolic pathways. Although progress has been achieved, challenges remain, including low conversion efficiencies and excessive costs of biofuel production compared to conventional fossil fuels, along with the need to enhance microbial resistance to harsh production conditions. By understanding current progress and future challenges, researchers and bioengineers can develop modern technologies and methods to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of microbial alkane production. This review provides a detailed look at the recent developments in microbial biosynthesis of alkanes, highlighting the key metabolic pathways and genetic techniques used to scale up production. It also discusses the challenges and obstacles facing the production of microbial alkanes. The review emphasizes the role of microbial alkane production in promoting a sustainable energy future. This review may enhance awareness of the importance of developing renewable biofuel sources, which supports global efforts to combat climate change and achieve sustainable development.

Keywords: Alkane; Biofuel; Development; Microbial production; Sustainable.

Fig. 1

The overall microbial production of alkanes

Fig. 2

Schemes of microbial alkanes biosynthesis pathways: Cyanobacteria (Li et al. 2012), Escherichia coli (Song et al. 2016), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Kang et al. 2017)