earticle

영어

“Acetogens” are obligately anaerobic bacteria that can use the Acetyl-CoA pathway (or called as Wood-Ljungdahl pathway because of two great microbiologist they identified this pathway) as their predominant mechanism for the reductive synthesis of acetyl-CoA from carbon dioxide, terminal electron accepting and energy conserving process, and mechanism for the synthesis of cellular carbon from carbon monoxide. Because acetate is a sole or major product during Acetyl-CoA pathway, the term “acetogenesis” could be used to describe the process; however, it should be differentiated from other acetate produing microbial processes such as glycolytic acetate production and acetate from ethanol oxidation by Acetibacter. Since Wood and Ljungdahl have identified this pathway, many approaches have been tried to study how microorganims can synthesize multi-carbon chemcials from one carbon (C1) material under moderate condition. Fischer-Tropsch process is another process that can converts carbon monoxide or hydrogen into multi-carbon chemiclas; however, it is not really cost-effective because high temperature and pressure are essentially required for reaction. In addition, metallic catalysts which are key components for reaction are very easily poisoned and not recovered by sulfur contaminats commonly existed in synthesis gas (syn-gas). Althorugh there are pros and cons if we employ biological system (i.e., acetogenesis) as syn-gas conversion process into multi-carbon chemicals, it is definitley deserved to approach again because it has more positive points and some of drawback could be overcome by recently developed techniques.