Bioconversion of renewable feedstocks by Rhodococcus opacus

[Display omitted] •Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable feedstock to produce fuels and chemicals.•Lignin catabolism and lipid biosynthesis have been elucidated in Rhodococcus opacus.•Adaptive evolution has enhanced aromatic tolerance and lipid titers in R. opacus.•R. opacus has shown its potential for bioconversion of various industrial wastes.•R. opacus has been engineered to enable the production of lipid-based products. The production of fuels and chemicals from renewable feedstocks is necessary for a fossil fuel independent economy. Lignin and other industrial wastes represent sustainable, non-food feedstocks that can be tapped for microbe-based bioproduction. Rhodococcus opacus is a gram-positive bacterium capable of catabolizing a broad range of feedstocks, and recent technological advances have further established its potential for lignin and industrial waste valorization. In the process of developing R. opacus as a platform for bioproduction, metabolic profiling has elucidated its native mechanisms of bioconversion, adaptive evolution has enhanced its tolerance towards inhibitory feedstocks, and genetic engineering has enabled it to produce novel products, such as wax esters, free fatty acids, and long chain hydrocarbons. Here, we present recent examples of broad feedstock utilization and value-added chemical production by R. opacus, demonstrating its potential as an industrially relevant strain.