Kaiwen Liang

Biomass Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resouces, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Biological Evidence, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 2   doi: 10.5376/be.2024.14.0010
Received: 03 Mar., 2024    Accepted: 08 Apr., 2024    Published: 21 Apr., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Liang K.W., 2024, Metabolic pathways and genetic engineering of anaerobic bacteria for biohydrogen production, Bioscience Evidence, 14(2): 81-92 (doi: 10.5376/be.2024.14.0010)

Biohydrogen production, as a promising direction for sustainable energy production, leverages the metabolic capabilities of anaerobic bacteria. This study provides a comprehensive review of the metabolic pathways involved in biohydrogen production, with a focus on acidogenic fermentation and butyrate-type fermentation, as well as the critical role of hydrogenases in these processes. The research highlights the latest advancements in genetic engineering technologies, including CRISPR-Cas9, gene knockout, and synthetic biology approaches, which have played significant roles in optimizing metabolic pathways and increasing hydrogen yield. Key developments include the successful modification of anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridium acetobutylicum and Thermotoga maritima, leading to substantial increases in hydrogen production, and the integration of omics technologies to identify new pathway optimization targets. The study also explores the potential of co-culture systems and microbial communities in enhancing biohydrogen production and discusses challenges related to economic scalability, biosafety, and environmental impact. This research offers new perspectives on the fundamental scientific principles of bioenergy conversion, promoting innovation and development in biotechnology for clean energy.

Biohydrogen production; Anaerobic bacteria; Metabolic pathways; Genetic engineering; CRISPR-Cas9; Hydrogenases; Synthetic biology