中国生物工程杂志

2,3-butanediol(2,3-BD) is an important chemical intermediate and can be used in many fields. 2,3-BD production come to a peak during World War Ⅱ because 1,3-butanediene used for synthetic rubber production could be made from 2,3-BD. Due to the increased demand for polybutylene terephthalate resin, gamma-butyrolactone, spandex and their precursors, the demand and yield of 2,3-BD increased stably in recent years. Although 2,3-BD production by fermentation has been studied widely for many years, its industrialization did not realized till now. The microbe species and the physiological function of 2,3-BD to cell，metabolic pathway, mechanism of stereoisomers formation, the factors influencing the fermentation and downstream recovery of 2,3-BD is discussed, and some problems should be solved in 2,3-BD production is also presented in this article.