Biocatalysis and biodegradation for efficient utilization of liquid n-alkanes.

Microorganisms efficiently metabolize liquid n-alkanes, enabling complete mineralization and biocatalytic conversion for environmental and industrial applications.

• Why it matters: N-alkanes are a major petroleum resource and pollutants, but understanding their microbial transformation is crucial for pollution remediation and sustainable chemical production.
• What they did: The review summarizes microbial sorption, transport, enzyme hydroxylation, and biodegradation pathways of liquid n-alkanes, highlighting advances and challenges in biocatalysis.
• The result: This work guides future research to overcome bottlenecks, advancing environmental protection and the valorization of n-alkanes into valuable chemicals.