基于生物体-材料杂化体系的低碳生物合成的研究进展

To promote the development of green bio-economy, low-carbon biosynthesis technologies based on biological entities such as industrial microorganisms or enzymes have demonstrated significant application potentials in the utilization of low-carbon substrates. One-carbon raw feedstocks such as carbon dioxide and methane can be used as substrates for biosynthesis, which can effectively save the use of food-based raw materials such as sugar and grains (starch) for biomanufacturing and alleviate greenhouse gas emissions, to achieve goals on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Currently, the bioconversion of low-carbon substrates are still challenged by low energy utilization efficiency and conversion rate as bottlenecks for its applications at large scales. A hybrid system of biological conversions and materials can harness renewable energy from light or electricity to facilitate the biocatalytic reactions for the synthesis of target products, thereby offering opportunities for developing low-carbon biomanufacturing. Research on biocompatible photosensitive materials such as semiconductors, dyes, and polymers, as well as the construction of microbial electrochemical systems, enable the low-carbon bioconversion technologies to break through the limitation of insufficient energy supply in endogenous metabolic processes, therefore having wide application prospects and potentials. Based on the emerging technologies of renewable energy-driven biological conversion of low-carbon substrates, this review first explores the relevant technologies and methods for capturing energy from light or electricity. Furthermore, combined with the application examples of light/electricity-driven biological entity-material hybrid systems in the synthesis of various chemicals with different materials and under different electron transfer mechanisms, effects and latest research progress of these hybrid systems on cellular energy supply, substrate conversion, and synthesis of energy-consuming products are critically analyzed. Finally, challenges faced by the hybrid systems in the synthesis of low-carbon footprint chemicals are outlined, and feasible solutions and application prospects are proposed.