Reprogramming Microbial CO2-Metabolizing Chassis With CRISPR-Cas Systems
Hou–Yong Yu, Shuguang Wang, Peng‐Fei Xia
Abstract
Global warming is approaching an alarming level due to the anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). To overcome the challenge, the reliance on fossil fuels needs to be alleviated, and a significant amount of CO 2 needs to be sequestrated from the atmosphere. In this endeavor, carbon-neutral and carbon-negative biotechnologies are promising ways. Especially, carbon-negative bioprocesses, based on the microbial CO 2 -metabolizing chassis, possess unique advantages in fixing CO 2 directly for the production of fuels and value-added chemicals. In order to fully uncover the potential of CO 2 -metabolizing chassis, synthetic biology tools, such as CRISPR-Cas systems, have been developed and applied to engineer these microorganisms, revolutionizing carbon-negative biotechnology. Herein, we review the recent advances in the adaption of CRISPR-Cas systems, including CRISPR-Cas based genome editing and CRISPR interference/activation, in cyanobacteria, acetogens, and methanogens. We also envision future innovations via the implementation of rising CRISPR-Cas systems, such as base editing, prime editing, and transposon-mediated genome editing.