Biotech is key to rapid decarbonization

Fossil resources such as coal, oil, and gas have led to the rapid growth of industrial operations, transportation, and agriculture. Nevertheless, fossil resources are the primary source of direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, hence contributing greatly to the climate crisis1,2. Although humanity is aware of the risks of using fossil fuels as resources, still about two-thirds of the anthropogenic CO2 emissions derive from combusting coal, oil, and gas to gain energy2. And notably, of all carbon-based materials, 47% of the annual production is fossil-based3. The way we currently produce and utilize materials severely affects our planet and leads to serious environmental issues. Thus, our mission is clear: We need to achieve rapid decarbonization across all sectors and thrive for cleaner production cycles of fuels, chemicals, food, and feed.

Industrial biotechnology represents one promising technology that can save energy and significantly reduce CO2 emissions when based on sustainable and renewable resources. Microbial conversion of organic substrates allows the production of biofuels and high- and low-value chemicals4,5,6 and thus, replaces fossil feedstocks as raw materials. Among prospective industrial production cells mainly bacteria and yeasts are being proposed as chassis cells for upcoming synthetic biology applications as they can use various feedstocks from a wide range of sources. The so-called first-generation feedstocks, which mostly consist of sugar and starch, are derived directly from agricultural output7,8. Second-generation feedstocks are leftovers from the processing of agricultural raw materials, such as glycerol produced during the generation of biodiesel or lignocellulosic sugars generated from straw or maize stover8,9. Notably, these materials are still made from agricultural products and compete with those that are used to make food, animal feed, and plant fibers. Additionally, the lack of available land questions the sustainability of first-generation feedstocks at one point. According to FAO statistics10, about one-third of the arable land (38% of the world’s land area) is cultivated while the remaining two-thirds include meadows and pastures for livestock. As the population grows, so does the need for agricultural land. The transition of arable regions to non-agricultural lands, intensive use of pesticides, shorter fallow seasons, and climate change further reduce the amount of land suitable for agriculture11.