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Metagenomics and industrial applications

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 3, pages 510–516 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Different industries have different motivations to probe the enormous resource that is uncultivated microbial diversity. Currently, there is a global political drive to promote white (industrial) biotechnology as a central feature of the sustainable economic future of modern industrialized societies. This requires the development of novel enzymes, processes, products and applications. Metagenomics promises to provide new molecules with diverse functions, but ultimately, expression systems are required for any new enzymes and bioactive molecules to become an economic success. This review highlights industrial efforts and achievements in metagenomics.

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Figure 1: Multi-parameter footprint analysis.
Figure 2: Industrial enzymes — from the metagenome to applications and processes.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our collegues at BRAIN AG and particularly C. Schleper of the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Zentrum für Evolutionsforschung und Biotechnologie (ZEB), Darmstadt, Germany, for fruitful discussions and sharing ideas and resources.

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  1. BRAIN AG, Darmstaedterstrasse 34, Zwingenberg, 64673, Germany

    Patrick Lorenz & Jürgen Eck

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  1. Patrick Lorenz
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Correspondence to Patrick Lorenz.

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Both authors are senior managers at BRAIN AG.

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Glossary

CONSORTIUM

Physical association between cells of two or more types of microorganisms. Such an association might be advantageous to at least one of the microorganisms.

ENANTIOSELECTIVE

Selection of a particular enantiomer, one of a pair of stereospecific isomers.

GREEN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology applied to agriculture, for example, production of transgenic crop plants with genetically engineered improved pest resistance.

RED BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology in health care that uses substances produced in the human body to fight disease — medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and gene therapy.

REGIOSELECTIVE

Selection of a change that occurs with a greater frequency at one site than at several other sites, usually involving a structural or positional isomer.

SYNTHON

A molecule used as a chemical building block to synthesize complex compounds.

WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY

Industrial use of biotechnology, for example, to produce fine chemicals, biofuel, bioplastics, enzymes for use in detergents, food and feed. The boundaries between white, green and red biotechnology are blurred.

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Lorenz, P., Eck, J. Metagenomics and industrial applications. Nat Rev Microbiol 3, 510–516 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1161

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