Biodesulfurization: How to Make it Work?

Desulfurization biocatalysts have been demonstrated to selectively oxidize and/or cleave carbon-sulfur bonds in a wide range of chemicals, yet an economically viable biodesulfurization process has not been developed. There are two reasons for this: failure to explore the full range of applications of biodesulfurization using existing biocatalysts and a failure to address the key factors preventing the development of biocatalysts with superior biodesulfurization activity. Existing desulfurization biocatalysts can potentially be used to detoxify chemical warfare agents or to produce surfactants, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, polythioesters, and various specialty chemicals. To develop biocatalysts with sufficient activity for a commercial petroleum biodesulfurization process, it will be necessary to overcome product inhibition caused by 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2HBP) and related chemicals and to make more robust biocatalysts. This review will discuss specifically how these limitations can be overcome.