SEMINAR

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a major driver of today’s worsening climate change, it is essential to decrease the use of fossil fuels. While coal and natural gas, primarily used for electric power generation, are being replaced through active technological development, biomass has emerged as the most viable alternative to petroleum, which is mainly used as a fuel for transportation and as a raw material in the chemical industry.
For biomass to replace petroleum, key factors include ensuring sufficient supply at competitive prices and developing conversion technologies capable of transforming it into a broad range of petrochemical products. Currently, agricultural crops serve as the main source of biomass, but they are mostly used in the food industry, and increasing their supply is limited by the availability of arable land. Agricultural residues are also underutilized due to processing difficulties and substances that interfere with subsequent fermentation processes.
Brown macroalgae including kelp, a highly productive seaweed, does not require arable land and uses seawater, making it a promising biomass resource without the concern of freshwater scarcity. However, the lack of efficient conversion technology has limited its value as an alternative resource. Our research team has discovered microorganisms capable of directly digesting ground kelp and developed synthetic biology technologies to selectively and efficiently produce desired products. Unlike cellulosic biomass from agricultural residues, which is difficult to utilize, this process demonstrates the potential to efficiently produce a wide range of products, from fuels to value-added chemicals, using simple processes. This talk emphasizes that a resource’s value depends on supply, cost, and usability, highlighting the need for technology development that addresses all three factors.