ENGINEERING AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

Running head: ENGINEERING AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
Combining engineering (red) and synthetic biology (white) towards the production of biofuel
Name
University affiliation

ENGINEERING AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 2
Combining engineering (red) and synthetic biology (white) towards the production of
biofuel
The recent increase in worldwide population incorporated with fast international
industrial development has resulted in a tremendous rise in worldwide per capita energy
consumption. Various sources of non-renewable energy, especially fossil fuels, are fulfilling
the rising demand in energy being consumed (Culp, Yim, Waglechner, Wang, Pawlowski, &
Wright 2019). It is also estimated in previous studies that based on the current usage, the
international market for energy consumed is envisioned to heighten by an approximate of
50% more by 2030. It is also speculated that further pressure will be exerted on the dwindling
fossil fuel reserves because of the simultaneous addition of approximately 1.7 billion people
when it comes to the international populace. Additionally, Shuba & Kifle (2018) during his
study developed that, non-renewable bases such as regular oil are likely to be consumed 105
times faster compared to other replacements and therefore the issue requires instant
responsiveness to look for an unconventional, renewable as well as viable energy resources.
This essay focuses on combining Combining engineering (red) and synthetic biology (white)
towards the production of biofuel in biotechnology.
For instance, biomass-derived biofuels are the most considered sustainable alternative
to fossil fuels. Which means, it is possible to mitigate complications such as excessive
emission of carbon and water pollution, which are associated with fossil fuel combustion
(Ahmad, Yasin, Derek, Lim, 2011). Several studies such as Acheampong, Ertem, Kappler &
Neubauer (2017) developed that there is a segregation of biofuels into four generations which
have been categorized according to their feedstock materials such as various cereals, food
crops that are found in oil as well as sugarcane. The second-generation biofuel is
encompassed in the manufacture of bioethanol and methanol extracted from crops at a
decreased cost, forest filtrates as well as agricultural residues. Therefore, according to a

ENGINEERING AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 3
research conducted by Shuba & Kifle (2018), sea biomass such as seaweeds as well as the
algae for the age band of biofuels which includes biogas, butanol, and ethanol are exploited
by the third generation of biofuels. Recent studies such as Oey, Sawyer, Ross & Hankamer
(2016) indicate that there are recent developments when it comes to systems biology as well
as synthetic biology which are allowing the development biofuels of the fourth generation.
These biofuels engineer microorganisms which after that serve as feedstock materials. This
leaves room for researchers to conduct further research involving the development of other
alternative biofuel molecules which have structures and features that are similar short-chain
aromatics, cyclic alcohols as well as branched-chain.
In recent studies Shuba & Kifle (2018) it is evident that most populated countries give
much attention to the microalgae because of their potential utilization as a feedstock by
virtue. Shuba & Kifle developed that this is because microalgae contain lipid contents as well
as high carbohydrates which enhance rapid development rates and resistance to the constantly
changing ecological conditions. Additionally, recent developments in reverse engineering
tools such as genome sequence and gene targeting have allowed the unraveling of novel
metabolic pathways which tend to occur in the algal cells as well as within the synthesize
new biological systems. As developed by Oey, Sawyer, Ross & Hankamer (2016), during
their research, all these systems are designed to further the production of biofuel.
Algal biorefinery products.
Based on previous research conducted by Ramanan, Kim, Cho, Oh, & Kim
(2016) developing microalgae-based biofuels alone is not sufficient as an economically
competitive alternative especially to the current technologies, and therefore most companies
have resolved to focus on the abstraction of high-value co-products from microalgae. The
main aim of the shifted focus is to ensure there is increased improvement when it comes to
the economics of microalgae-based biorefinery. Jagadevan et al. (2018) defined biorefinery