Vectors for Use in Clostridium acetobutylicum

In the last two decades, interest in using surplus/waste biomass in biocatalytic processes to produce chemicals and fuels of high added value, as an alternative to chemical synthesis from petroleum feedstocks, has exhibited considerable fluctuation. The underlying argument for such developments seems irrefutable. Fossil fuels are a finite resource. It follows that alternative technologies based on a renewable feedstock must eventually be developed. Impetus for undertaking the necessary research has until relatively recently been ruled by economic factors. Thus, although the world oil crisis of the 1970s saw a surge in the fortunes of potential biological processes, a subsequent reduction in petroleum prices dampened initial enthusiasm. Two factors have now refocused the world’s attention on biocatalytic processes.