Microbial Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Biofuels: Advances and Challenges

This paper highlights developments in microbial electrosynthesis (MES), metabolic engineering, and photosynthetic biohybrid systems (PBSs) for biofuel production, which offer a sustainable solution to lessen dependency on fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases. MES uses electroactive microbes to convert CO2 into ethanol, methane, and other fuels using renewable electricity while integrating wastewater treatment; metabolic engineering improves CO2 fixation by redesigning microbial pathways; and PBSs combine inorganic semiconductors with biological catalysts to improve solar energy conversion. Methane synthesis through hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and ethanol production via acetyl-CoA pathways are examples of targeted biofuel synthesis. However, the overall energy yields remain suboptimal for large-scale deployment. Slow reaction rates, expensive hydrogen, and fluctuating CO2 fixation efficiencies in microalgae systems are among the difficulties that are impacted by reactor design and operating factors. Process optimization and strain engineering innovations hold promise for scalability. However, further research is required due to the infrastructural requirements and economic viability of CO2 capture and hydrogen delivery. Realizing the full potential of microbial CO2 conversion technologies in reaching carbon neutrality will require addressing these technological and financial obstacles through interdisciplinary methods.