Integration of advanced biotechnology for green carbon

Abstract

Carbon neutralization has been introduced as a long-term policy to control global warming and climate change. As plant photosynthesis produces the most abundant lignocellulosic biomass on Earth, its conversion to biofuels and bioproducts is considered a promising solution for reducing the net carbon release. However, natural lignocellulose recalcitrance crucially results in a costly biomass process along with secondary waste liberation. By updating recent advances in plant biotechnology, biomass engineering, and carbon nanotechnology, this study proposes a novel strategy that integrates the genetic engineering of bioenergy crops with green-like biomass processing for cost-effective biofuel conversion and high-value bioproduction. By selecting key genes and appropriate genetic manipulation approaches for precise lignocellulose modification, this study highlights the desirable genetic site mutants and transgenic lines that are raised in amorphous regions and inner broken chains account for high-density/length-reduced cellulose nanofiber assembly in situ. Since the amorphous regions and inner-broken chains of lignocellulose substrates are defined as the initial breakpoints for enhancing biochemical, chemical, and thermochemical conversions, desirable cellulose nanofibers can be employed to achieve near-complete biomass enzymatic saccharification for maximizing biofuels or high-quality biomaterials, even under cost-effective and green-like biomass processes in vitro. This study emphasizes the optimal thermal conversion for generating high-performance nanocarbons by combining appropriate nanomaterials generated from diverse lignocellulose resources. Therefore, this study provides a perspective on the potential of green carbon productivity as a part of the fourth industrial revolution.