Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have unveiled two innovative methods that could significantly enhance the production of bio-based jet fuel using engineered microbes. These approaches promise to cut development timelines from years to just weeks, potentially transforming the industry landscape for sustainable aviation fuels.
Héctor García Martín, director of Data Science and Modeling at JBEI, emphasized the impact of these techniques: “If widely adopted, these approaches could reshape the industry. Instead of taking a decade and hundreds of people to develop one new bioproduct, small teams could do it in a year or less.”
One method employs artificial intelligence and lab automation, achieving a five-fold increase in isoprenol production. The second method utilizes a genetic biosensor, resulting in a remarkable 36-fold increase in fuel titers. These advancements allow researchers to test genetic designs 10 to 100 times faster than traditional manual methods.
Advancements in Jet Fuel Production
The primary focus of this research is isoprenol, a precursor that can be converted into DMCO, a synthetic jet fuel that boasts higher energy density than conventional petroleum-based alternatives. With current battery technology unable to meet the energy demands of aviation, this synthetic fuel is being developed to fulfill industry requirements.
The research highlights how automation and discovery-based sensing can optimize microbial systems for commercial use. The two engineering strategies employed by the teams at JBEI aim to enhance bio-manufacturing efficiency through distinct approaches.
One strategy merges artificial intelligence with lab automation to expedite the testing and refinement of genetic designs in biofuel-producing microbes, while the other leverages the microbes’ “bad habits” as a powerful sensing tool to uncover hidden metabolic pathways that enhance production.
Innovative Methods in Microbial Engineering
A team led by Taek Soon Lee and Héctor García Martín developed an automated pipeline that reduces dependence on human intuition in metabolic engineering. According to their findings, the Berkeley Lab researchers created a system that employs robotics to generate and evaluate hundreds of genetic designs simultaneously.
They introduced a custom microfluidic electroporation device that can insert genetic material into 384 strains of Pseudomonas putida in under a minute—a task that typically takes hours when performed manually. This rapid process fosters a continuous learning loop, where machine learning models evaluate protein measurements and suggest specific gene combinations to modify using CRISPR interference. Over the course of just six engineering cycles, the team successfully identified genetic combinations that significantly increased fuel concentration.
Another team, led by Thomas Eng, tackled a challenge posed by Pseudomonas putida: its tendency to consume the isoprenol it produces. They identified two proteins responsible for this detection and re-engineered the system into a biological biosensor. The team cleverly linked the sensor to essential survival genes, ensuring that only the microbes that produce the most fuel are able to thrive.
This innovative method enabled the team to screen millions of variants without manual interventions. Their findings revealed that high-producing strains adapt their metabolism to utilize amino acids once glucose supplies are depleted, sustaining production levels.
Future of Bio-Based Jet Fuel Production
Researchers are now focused on transitioning these engineered microbial strains from laboratory environments to industrial fermentation systems. The combination of depth-first AI optimization with breadth-first biosensor discovery presents a scalable framework that could be applied to various bio-based products beyond aviation fuels.
The implications of this research extend beyond the immediate benefits of faster and more efficient biofuel production. By leveraging advanced technologies, the team at JBEI is setting the stage for a future where sustainable aviation fuels can become a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels, addressing both energy demands and environmental concerns in the aviation sector.