Plenary, Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
Biocatalysis for a sustainable future through circular economy
Annamma Anil Odaneth UPL (formerly United Phosphorus Ltd.) R&D, Mumbai, India
In today’s world, where global finances, food and energy systems are undergoing a period of turmoil, “sustainability” is the buzz word around. Reinventing sustainability for energy requirements is a key aspect if problems of climate change, poverty and equality are to be addressed. The reliance on chemicals to transform carbon to energy yielding material has been slowly changing to explore natural or synthetically biological processes. Process using microbial or protein-based catalysis have dictated biofuel production right from its starting days. Utilization of agri-biomass (1st/2nd/3rd generation) for bioethanol/ biodiesel/ biogas/ biohydrogen have been platforms where, biocatalysts has provided solutions more sustainable than fossil fuels. Even though the advantages of biocatalysts over chemical methods have been recognized, these have been under-utilized in industrial production processes. Modern advances in biotechnology have increased the diversity and value of biocatalysis through protein engineering and synthetic biology of microbes, and this paves way for (bio)-catalysis to be at the forefront of sustainable production techniques with a zero waste target.
© The Author(s), 2023
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