Abstract
Worldwide attention is focused on the biorefinery industry as a means to tackle current global warming and energy security concerns. However, current production using food crops should give way to production from cellulose obtained from non-food biomass. We developed a growth-arrested bioprocess "RITE Bioprocess" to produce biofuels and biochemicals from non-food biomass. The RITE Bioprocess utilizes Corynebacterium glutamicum, which is widely used in industrial production of amino acids. The process is based on a new concept that fundamentally resolves the technological problems of existing bioprocesses. Using genetically modified C. glutamicum cells, various substances can be produced at high volumetric productivity with cells packed in a reactor to high density under growth-arrested conditions generated upon oxygen deprivation. In this presentation, our current research into aromatic compound productions will be discussed.
