Abstract
Dear Colleagues:
My past metabolic reconstruction modelling and bioenergy research activities have led me to believe that there are many similarities between biorefineries and microbial metabolic networks. Biorefineries and microbial metabolic networks are composed of a set of material transformation, transport, and storage processes that have certain energy costs—and in the case of biorefineries, monetary costs—associated with the processing of materials. In addition, for both types of networks, performance is defined by how the processes are connected to form a network of material flows. Also, biorefineries and microbial metabolic networks recirculate materials through positive and negative feedback loops that play a role in defining how material and energy is distributed through the network, Thus, biorefineries are, in essence, complex industrial metabolic networks, and much of our innovation activities are focused on either altering these processes to improve performance or altering how process are connected to form the network. This is not a whole lot different from some or our genetic engineering, systems biology, and synthetic biology activities that have been used to alter metabolic networks to improve yields and productivity and to add value.
Successful manipulation of these industrial metabolic networks hinges on curating and utilizing extensive science, technology, marketing, policy, and environmental data set that informs the mix of processes we want to introduce and how these processes are coupled together to achieved desired outcomes. Thus, it is apparent that there is also a major data flow that needs to accompany the material, energy, and monetary flows of industrial metabolic networks. The integration of this data flow with material, energy, and monetary flows is at the core of the commentary by our colleagues from VTT Technical Centre of Finland. Raija Lantto and her coauthors argue that this type of integration is essential for envisioning a circular and low-carbon economy. They also argue that this type of integration is necessary for “impact assessments, feasibility studies and collaborative development projects.” Key enablers of this integration are data science, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things. Benefits from using these enablers include enhanced ability for precise calculation of non-renewable and renewable resource needs, optimization of material recycling, and ability to produce materials identifiable and traceable as they flow and recycle through the industrial metabolic network.
There are others in our innovation community that understand the similarities between industrial and microbial metabolic engineering. Dr. Christophe Schilling, Genomatica, (San Diego, CA), was one of the early pioneers in the field of systems biology and the building of microbial metabolic networks. In this issue of IB, we learn about how Genomatica leverages advanced systems modeling and simulation to understand and to engineer complex microbial and industrial metabolic networks to create and enable new value chains. This system engineering approach to integrating microbial and industrial-level metabolic activities relies on complete and curated genomics, technology, markets, policy, and environmental data sets. Thus, there is a need to incorporate data flow in our understanding and engineering of industrial metabolic networks.
The manipulation of the algae metabolic and the industrial metabolic networks to produce high-quality, high-value chemicals have been a recurring IB theme. In this issue, we hear from Adelheid Kuehnle, CEO, and Robert Schurr, Senior Scientist, of Kuehnle AgroSystems (Honolulu, HI) about driving the dark fermentation metabolic network of photosynthetic microalgae to produce bioactive or functional compounds. Dr. Kuehnle is my fellow Co-Editor in Chief at IB, and this role, along with her technology and business innovation activities at Kuehnle AgroSystems, provide her with a unique vantage point to observe the innovation underway in our community. In this Catalyzing Innovation feature, we learn how Kuehnle AgroSystems reconfigured its industrial metabolic network to successfully integrate photosynthetic metabolic networks of microalgaes such as Chlamydomonadales to produce functional or bioactive compounds. In essence, it is an insightful illustration of how we integrate cellular metabolic networks with industrial metabolic networks to build value chains. The focus of Kuehnle AgroSystems' innovation effort is carotenoid pigments, and Drs. Kuehnle and Schurr provide us with many insights into the market for these compounds and the technical challenges to creating industrial metabolic networks to produce these products. Our Kuehnle AgroSystems colleagues provide us with a compelling story of how industrial and cellular metabolic networks can be integrated to yield “natural products from microalgae under an improved paradigm employing more resource-friendly practices.”
The original research articles in this issue, in some form or fashion, drive innovative changes in industrial metabolic networks. Whether it is the immobilization of lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus, as reported by T.C. Honaiser, A.M.M. Ficanha, R.M. Dallago, D. Oliveira, J.V. Oliveira, N. Paroul, and M.L. Mignoni, or the use of low-cost agro-industrial substrate to obtain carotenoids from Phaffia rhodozyma, as reported by L. Urnau, R. Colet, P.T. Reato, J.F. de Medeiros Burkert, E. Rodrigues, R. Gomes, R.A. Jacques, E. Valduga, and C. Steffens, we see the efforts of our innovation community to alter the critical material transformation processes and structures of industrial metabolic networks to build and enable new value chains. Yes, we are building industrial metabolic networks!