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Kurt E, Qin J, Williams A, Zhao Y, Xie D. Perspectives for Using CO 2 as a Feedstock for Biomanufacturing of Fuels and Chemicals. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1357. [PMID: 38135948 PMCID: PMC10740661 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10121357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial cell factories offer an eco-friendly alternative for transforming raw materials into commercially valuable products because of their reduced carbon impact compared to conventional industrial procedures. These systems often depend on lignocellulosic feedstocks, mainly pentose and hexose sugars. One major hurdle when utilizing these sugars, especially glucose, is balancing carbon allocation to satisfy energy, cofactor, and other essential component needs for cellular proliferation while maintaining a robust yield. Nearly half or more of this carbon is inevitably lost as CO2 during the biosynthesis of regular metabolic necessities. This loss lowers the production yield and compromises the benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions-a fundamental advantage of biomanufacturing. This review paper posits the perspectives of using CO2 from the atmosphere, industrial wastes, or the exhausted gases generated in microbial fermentation as a feedstock for biomanufacturing. Achieving the carbon-neutral or -negative goals is addressed under two main strategies. The one-step strategy uses novel metabolic pathway design and engineering approaches to directly fix the CO2 toward the synthesis of the desired products. Due to the limitation of the yield and efficiency in one-step fixation, the two-step strategy aims to integrate firstly the electrochemical conversion of the exhausted CO2 into C1/C2 products such as formate, methanol, acetate, and ethanol, and a second fermentation process to utilize the CO2-derived C1/C2 chemicals or co-utilize C5/C6 sugars and C1/C2 chemicals for product formation. The potential and challenges of using CO2 as a feedstock for future biomanufacturing of fuels and chemicals are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Kurt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (E.K.); (J.Q.); (A.W.)
| | - Jiansong Qin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (E.K.); (J.Q.); (A.W.)
| | - Alexandria Williams
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (E.K.); (J.Q.); (A.W.)
| | - Youbo Zhao
- Physical Sciences Inc., 20 New England Business Ctr., Andover, MA 01810, USA;
| | - Dongming Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (E.K.); (J.Q.); (A.W.)
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Sahoo KK, Katari JK, Das D. Recent advances in methanol production from methanotrophs. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:360. [PMID: 37891430 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03813-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Methanol, the simplest aliphatic molecule of the alcohol family, finds diverse range of applications as an industrial solvent, a precursor for producing other chemicals (e.g., dimethyl ether, acetic acid and formaldehyde), and a potential fuel. There are conventional chemical routes for methanol production such as, steam reforming of natural gas to form syngas, followed by catalytic conversion into methanol; direct catalytic oxidation of methane, or hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. However, these chemical routes are limited by the requirement for expensive catalysts and extreme process conditions, and plausible environmental implications. Alternatively, methanotrophic microorganisms are being explored as biological alternative for methanol production, under milder process conditions, bypassing the requirement for chemical catalysts, and without imposing any adverse environmental impact. Methanotrophs possess inherent metabolic pathways for methanol production via biological methane oxidation or carbon dioxide reduction, thus offering a surplus advantage pertaining to the sequestration of two major greenhouse gases. This review sheds light on the recent advances in methanotrophic methanol production including metabolic pathways, feedstocks, metabolic engineering, and bioprocess engineering approaches. Furthermore, various reactor configurations are discussed in view of the challenges associated with solubility and mass transfer limitations in methanotrophic gas fermentation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Kalyani Sahoo
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - John Kiran Katari
- School of Energy Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Debasish Das
- Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India.
- School of Energy Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India.
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Weng C, Peng X, Han Y. From methane to value-added bioproducts: microbial metabolism, enzymes, and metabolic engineering. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2023; 124:119-146. [PMID: 37597946 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Methane is abundant in nature, and excessive emissions will cause the greenhouse effect. Methane is also an ideal carbon and energy feedstock for biosynthesis. In the review, the microorganisms, metabolism, and enzymes for methane utilization, and the advances of conversion to value-added bioproducts were summarized. First, the physiological characteristics, classification, and methane oxidation process of methanotrophs were introduced. The metabolic pathways for methane utilization and key intermediate metabolites of native and synthetic methanotrophs were summarized. Second, the enzymatic properties, crystal structures, and catalytic mechanisms of methane-oxidizing and metabolizing enzymes in methanotrophs were described. Third, challenges and prospects in metabolic pathways and enzymatic catalysis for methane utilization and conversion to value-added bioproducts were discussed. Finally, metabolic engineering of microorganisms for methane biooxidation and bioproducts synthesis based on different pathways were summarized. Understanding the metabolism and challenges of microbial methane utilization will provide insights into possible strategies for efficient methane-based synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Weng
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China; School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xiaowei Peng
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China; School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yejun Han
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China; School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
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Ali Eltayb W, Abdalla M, Ahmed EL-Arabey A, Boufissiou A, Azam M, Al-Resayes SI, Alam M. Exploring particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) proteins using experimentation and computational molecular docking. JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY - SCIENCE 2023; 35:102634. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2023.102634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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Lv X, Yu W, Zhang C, Ning P, Li J, Liu Y, Du G, Liu L. C1-based biomanufacturing: Advances, challenges and perspectives. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 367:128259. [PMID: 36347475 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
One-carbon (C1) compounds have emerged as a key research focus due to the growth of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology as affordable and sustainable nonfood sugar feedstocks for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly biomanufacturing. This paper summarizes and discusses current developments in C1 compounds for biomanufacturing. First, two primary groups of microbes that use C1 compounds (native and synthetic) are introduced, and the traits, categorization, and functions of C1 microbes are summarized. Second, engineering strategies for C1 utilization are compiled and reviewed, including reconstruction of C1-utilization pathway, enzyme engineering, cofactor engineering, genome-scale modeling, and adaptive laboratory evolution. Third, a review of C1 compounds' uses in the synthesis of biofuels and high-value compounds is presented. Finally, potential obstacles to C1-based biomanufacturing are highlighted along with future research initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Baima Future Foods Research Institute, Nanjing 211225, China
| | - Wenwen Yu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Chenyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Peng Ning
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Long Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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Anaerobic Digestion of Cereal Rye Cover Crop. FERMENTATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation8110617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid growth of cover crop planting area in the U.S. helps with erosion control, soil health, control of greenhouse gases, and also provides abundant biomass for the production of bioenergy and bioproducts. Given the cover crops’ compositional heterogeneity and variability, a tolerate platform technology such as anaerobic digestion (AD) is preferred but has not been widely used for cover crop biorefining. This study evaluated the biogas and methane yields from six cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crops grown in the Midwest, using both bench- and pilot-scale anaerobic digesters. The effects of two critical factors, the total solids (TS) content and ensiling, on digester performance were also investigated. Methane yields of 174.79–225.23 L/kg-VS were obtained from the bench-scale tests using cereal rye as the mono feedstock. The pilot-scale test with no pH adjustment showed a slightly higher methane yield. Ensiling increased the methane yield by 23.08% at 6% TS, but disturbed AD at 8% TS, and failed AD at 10% and 15% TS. Findings from this study would help farmers and the biorefining industry to determine the baseline performance and revenue of cereal rye AD and to develop strategies for process control and optimization.
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Wang B, Liu W, Liang B, Jiang J, Wang A. Microbial fingerprints of methanation in a hybrid electric-biological anaerobic digestion. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 226:119270. [PMID: 36323204 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Biomethane as a sustainable, alternative, and carbon-neutral renewable energy source to fossil fuels is highly needed to alleviate the global energy crisis and climate change. The conventional anaerobic digestion (AD) process for biomethane production from waste(water) streams has been widely employed while struggling with a low production rate, low biogas qualities, and frequent instability. The electric-biologically hybrid microbial electrochemical anaerobic digestion system (MEC-AD) prospects more stable and robust biomethane generation, which facilitates complex organic substrates degradation and mediates functional microbial populations by giving a small input power (commonly voltages < 1.0 V), mainly enhancing the communication between electroactive microorganisms and (electro)methanogens. Despite numerous bioreactor tests and studies that have been conducted, based on the MEC-AD systems, the integrated microbial fingerprints, and cooperation, accelerating substrate degradation, and biomethane production, have not been fully summarized. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of this novel developing biotechnology, beginning with the principles of MEC-AD. First, we examine the fundamentals, configurations, classifications, and influential factors of the whole system's performances (reactor types, applied voltages, temperatures, conductive materials, etc.,). Second, extracellular electron transfer either between diverse microbes or between microbes and electrodes for enhanced biomethane production are analyzed. Third, we further conclude (electro)methanogenesis, and microbial interactions, and construct ecological networks of microbial consortia in MEC-AD. Finally, future development and perspectives on MEC-AD for biomethane production are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, 518055 Shenzhen, China; Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Wenzong Liu
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, 518055 Shenzhen, China.
| | - Bin Liang
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, 518055 Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiandong Jiang
- Key Lab of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095 Nanjing, China
| | - Aijie Wang
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, 518055 Shenzhen, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100085 Beijing, China
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An Overview on Methanotrophs and the Role of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b for Biotechnological Applications. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-022-0046-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Khanongnuch R, Mangayil R, Santala V, Hestnes AG, Svenning MM, Rissanen AJ. Batch Experiments Demonstrating a Two-Stage Bacterial Process Coupling Methanotrophic and Heterotrophic Bacteria for 1-Alkene Production From Methane. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:874627. [PMID: 35663866 PMCID: PMC9162803 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.874627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methane (CH4) is a sustainable carbon feedstock for value-added chemical production in aerobic CH4-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs). Under substrate-limited (e.g., oxygen and nitrogen) conditions, CH4 oxidation results in the production of various short-chain organic acids and platform chemicals. These CH4-derived products could be broadened by utilizing them as feedstocks for heterotrophic bacteria. As a proof of concept, a two-stage system for CH4 abatement and 1-alkene production was developed in this study. Type I and Type II methanotrophs, Methylobacter tundripaludum SV96 and Methylocystis rosea SV97, respectively, were investigated in batch tests under different CH4 and air supplementation schemes. CH4 oxidation under either microaerobic or aerobic conditions induced the production of formate, acetate, succinate, and malate in M. tundripaludum SV96, accounting for 4.8–7.0% of consumed carbon from CH4 (C-CH4), while M. rosea SV97 produced the same compounds except for malate, and with lower efficiency than M. tundripaludum SV96, accounting for 0.7–1.8% of consumed C-CH4. For the first time, this study demonstrated the use of organic acid-rich spent media of methanotrophs cultivating engineered Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 ‘tesA-undA cells for 1-alkene production. The highest yield of 1-undecene was obtained from the spent medium of M. tundripaludum SV96 at 68.9 ± 11.6 μmol mol Csubstrate–1. However, further large-scale studies on fermenters and their optimization are required to increase the production yields of organic acids in methanotrophs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramita Khanongnuch
- Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Rahul Mangayil
- Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ville Santala
- Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Anne Grethe Hestnes
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Mette Marianne Svenning
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Antti J Rissanen
- Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Boboua SYB, Zhou C, Li J, Bi W, Wang R, Chen S, Zheng G. Augmentation characteristics and microbial community dynamics of low temperature resistant composite strains LTF-27. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:35338-35349. [PMID: 35050471 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18677-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biogas production in the cold regions of China is hindered by low temperatures, which led to slow lignocellulose biotransformation. Cold-adapted lignocellulose degrading microbial complex community LTF-27 was used to investigate the influence of hydrolysis on biogas production. After 5 days of hydrolysis at 15 ± 1 °C, the hydrolysis conversion rate of the corn straw went up to 22.64%, and the concentration of acetic acid increased to 2596.56 mg/L. The methane production rates of total solids (TS) inoculated by LTF-27 reached 204.72 mL/g, which was higher than the biogas (161.34 mL/g), and the control group (CK) inoculated with cultural solution (121.19 mL/g), the methane production rate of volatile solids (VS) increased by 26.88% and 68.92%, respectively. Parabacteroides, Lysinibacillus, and Citrobacter were the main organisms that were responsible for hydrolysis. While numerous other bacteria genera in the gas-producing phase, Macellibacteroides were the most commonly occurring one. Methanosarcina and Methanobacteriaceae contributed 86.25% and 11.80% of the total Archaea abundance during this phase. This study proves the psychrotrophic LTF-27's applicability in hydrolysis and biomass gas production in low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stopira Yannick Benz Boboua
- College of Engineering, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Renewable Resources Utilization Technology and Equipment in Cold Areas of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenyang Zhou
- College of Engineering, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Renewable Resources Utilization Technology and Equipment in Cold Areas of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiachen Li
- College of Engineering, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Renewable Resources Utilization Technology and Equipment in Cold Areas of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Weishuai Bi
- College of Engineering, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Renewable Resources Utilization Technology and Equipment in Cold Areas of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruxian Wang
- College of Engineering, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Renewable Resources Utilization Technology and Equipment in Cold Areas of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengnan Chen
- College of Engineering, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Pig-Breeding Facilities Engineering, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoxiang Zheng
- College of Engineering, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Renewable Resources Utilization Technology and Equipment in Cold Areas of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Pig-Breeding Facilities Engineering, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Harbin, 150030, People's Republic of China.
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Zhang C, Ottenheim C, Weingarten M, Ji L. Microbial Utilization of Next-Generation Feedstocks for the Biomanufacturing of Value-Added Chemicals and Food Ingredients. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:874612. [PMID: 35480982 PMCID: PMC9035589 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.874612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Global shift to sustainability has driven the exploration of alternative feedstocks beyond sugars for biomanufacturing. Recently, C1 (CO2, CO, methane, formate and methanol) and C2 (acetate and ethanol) substrates are drawing great attention due to their natural abundance and low production cost. The advances in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology and industrial process design have greatly enhanced the efficiency that microbes use these next-generation feedstocks. The metabolic pathways to use C1 and C2 feedstocks have been introduced or enhanced into industrial workhorses, such as Escherichia coli and yeasts, by genetic rewiring and laboratory evolution strategies. Furthermore, microbes are engineered to convert these low-cost feedstocks to various high-value products, ranging from food ingredients to chemicals. This review highlights the recent development in metabolic engineering, the challenges in strain engineering and bioprocess design, and the perspectives of microbial utilization of C1 and C2 feedstocks for the biomanufacturing of value-added products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congqiang Zhang
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- *Correspondence: Congqiang Zhang, ,
| | - Christoph Ottenheim
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Melanie Weingarten
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - LiangHui Ji
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Abstract
The paper presents the research results obtained in the process of oxidative coupling of methane, in which unpurified biogas was used as the feedstock. Biogas obtained from two kinds of biomass materials, i.e., plant materials (potato and beet pulp, Corn-Cob-Mix—biogas 1) and animal waste (waste from fish filleting—biogas 2) was considered. The influence of temperature, the ratio of methane/oxygen and total flows of feedstock on the catalytic performance in oxidative coupling of methane process was investigated. Comparative tests were carried out using pure methane and a mixture of methane-carbon dioxide to simulate the composition of biogas 2. The process was carried out in the presence of an Mn-Na2WO4/SiO2 catalyst. Fresh and used catalysts were characterised by means of powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption techniques. In oxidative coupling of methane, the type of raw material used as the source of methane has a small effect on methane conversion (the differences in methane conversion are below 3%), but a significant effect on the selectivity to C2. Depending on the type of raw material, the differences in selectivity to C2 reach as high as 9%. However, the Mn-Na2WO4/SiO2 catalyst operated steadily in the tested period of time at any feedstock composition. Moreover, it was found that CO2, which is the second main component of biogas in addition to methane, has an effect on catalytic performance. Comparative results of catalytic tests indicate that the CO2 effect varies with temperature. Below 1073 K, CO2 exerts a small poisoning effect on methane conversion, while above this temperature the negative effect of CO2 disappears. In the case of selectivity to C2+, the negative effect of CO2 was observed only at 1023 K. At higher temperatures, CO2 enhances selectivity to C2+. The effect of CO2 was established by correlating the catalytic results with the temperature programmed desorption of CO2 investigation. The poisoning effect of CO2 was connected with the formation of surface Na2CO3, whose concentration depends on temperature.
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Oxidative coupling of methane over Y2O3 and Sr–Y2O3 nanorods. REACTION KINETICS MECHANISMS AND CATALYSIS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11144-021-02085-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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An Experimental Study on the Biological Fixation and Effective Use of Carbon Using Biogas and Bacterial Community Dominated by Methanotrophs, Methanol-Oxidizing Bacteria, and Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria. Catalysts 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/catal11111342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study used biogas from a wastewater treatment plant and bacterial community where methanotrophs, Methylophilus, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria clusters coexisted to propose an effective method for biological carbon fixation and nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Biogas from wastewater treatment plant was provided, instead of purified CH4, to provide operation and maintenance conditions of bio-catalyst reaction for efficient biological carbon fixation by bacterial community using methane and CO2. This study assessed the conditions to induce type X methanotrophs that can use CO2 as a carbon source, as dominant species in the bacterial community and continuously and effectively supply reducing equivalents required for the conversion of CO2 to methanol within the system. Herein, the results of inducing efficient co-existence of methanotrophs, Methylophilus, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria cluster in the bacterial community were shown.
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Gęsicka A, Oleskowicz-Popiel P, Łężyk M. Recent trends in methane to bioproduct conversion by methanotrophs. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 53:107861. [PMID: 34710553 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Methane is an abundant and low-cost gas with high global warming potential and its use as a feedstock can help mitigate climate change. Variety of valuable products can be produced from methane by methanotrophs in gas fermentation processes. By using methane as a sole carbon source, methanotrophic bacteria can produce bioplastics, biofuels, feed additives, ectoine and variety of other high-value chemical compounds. A lot of studies have been conducted through the years for natural methanotrophs and engineered strains as well as methanotrophic consortia. These have focused on increasing yields of native products as well as proof of concept for the synthesis of new range of chemicals by metabolic engineering. This review shows trends in the research on key methanotrophic bioproducts since 2015. Despite certain limitations of the known production strategies that makes commercialization of methane-based products challenging, there is currently much attention placed on the promising further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Gęsicka
- Water Supply and Bioeconomy Division, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
| | - Piotr Oleskowicz-Popiel
- Water Supply and Bioeconomy Division, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Mateusz Łężyk
- Water Supply and Bioeconomy Division, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznan, Poland.
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Intasian P, Prakinee K, Phintha A, Trisrivirat D, Weeranoppanant N, Wongnate T, Chaiyen P. Enzymes, In Vivo Biocatalysis, and Metabolic Engineering for Enabling a Circular Economy and Sustainability. Chem Rev 2021; 121:10367-10451. [PMID: 34228428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Since the industrial revolution, the rapid growth and development of global industries have depended largely upon the utilization of coal-derived chemicals, and more recently, the utilization of petroleum-based chemicals. These developments have followed a linear economy model (produce, consume, and dispose). As the world is facing a serious threat from the climate change crisis, a more sustainable solution for manufacturing, i.e., circular economy in which waste from the same or different industries can be used as feedstocks or resources for production offers an attractive industrial/business model. In nature, biological systems, i.e., microorganisms routinely use their enzymes and metabolic pathways to convert organic and inorganic wastes to synthesize biochemicals and energy required for their growth. Therefore, an understanding of how selected enzymes convert biobased feedstocks into special (bio)chemicals serves as an important basis from which to build on for applications in biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology to enable biobased processes that are greener and cleaner for the environment. This review article highlights the current state of knowledge regarding the enzymatic reactions used in converting biobased wastes (lignocellulosic biomass, sugar, phenolic acid, triglyceride, fatty acid, and glycerol) and greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) into value-added products and discusses the current progress made in their metabolic engineering. The commercial aspects and life cycle assessment of products from enzymatic and metabolic engineering are also discussed. Continued development in the field of metabolic engineering would offer diversified solutions which are sustainable and renewable for manufacturing valuable chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pattarawan Intasian
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Kridsadakorn Prakinee
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Aisaraphon Phintha
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand.,Department of Biochemistry and Center for Excellence in Protein and Enzyme Technology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Duangthip Trisrivirat
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Nopphon Weeranoppanant
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Burapha University, 169, Long-hard Bangsaen, Saensook, Muang, Chonburi 20131, Thailand
| | - Thanyaporn Wongnate
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Pimchai Chaiyen
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand
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Lai N, Luo Y, Fei P, Hu P, Wu H. One stone two birds: Biosynthesis of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from CO 2 and syngas-derived acetic acid in Escherichia coli. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2021; 6:144-152. [PMID: 34278012 PMCID: PMC8255177 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Syngas, which contains large amount of CO2 as well as H2 and CO, can be convert to acetic acid chemically or biologically. Nowadays, acetic acid become a cost-effective nonfood-based carbon source for value-added biochemical production. In this study, acetic acid and CO2 were used as substrates for the biosynthesis of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli carrying heterogeneous acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Acc) from Corynebacterium glutamicum and codon-optimized malonyl-CoA reductase (MCR) from Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Strategies of metabolic engineering included promoting glyoxylate shunt pathway, inhibiting fatty acid synthesis, dynamic regulating of TCA cycle, and enhancing the assimilation of acetic acid. The engineered strain LNY07(M*DA) accumulated 15.8 g/L of 3-HP with the yield of 0.71 g/g in 48 h by whole-cell biocatalysis. Then, syngas-derived acetic acid was used as substrate instead of pure acetic acid. The concentration of 3-HP reached 11.2 g/L with the yield of 0.55 g/g in LNY07(M*DA). The results could potentially contribute to the future development of an industrial bioprocess of 3-HP production from syngas-derived acetic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningyu Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yuanchan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Peng Fei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Peng Hu
- Shanghai GTL Biotech Co., Ltd., 1688 North Guoquan Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Engineering of China National Light Industry Council, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
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18
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Asadi M, McPhedran K. Biogas maximization using data-driven modelling with uncertainty analysis and genetic algorithm for municipal wastewater anaerobic digestion. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 293:112875. [PMID: 34062425 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion processes create biogases that can be useful sources of energy. The development of data-driven models of anaerobic digestion processes via operating parameters can lead to increased biogas production rates, resulting in greater energy production, through process modification and optimization. This study assessed processed and unprocessed input operating parameter variables for the development of regression models with transparent structures ('white-box' models) to: (1) estimate biogas production rates from municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) anaerobic digestors; (2) compare their performances to artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models with opaque structures ('black-box' models) using Monte Carlo Simulation for uncertainty analysis; and (3) integrate the models with a genetic algorithm (GA) to optimize operating parameters for maximization of MWTP biogas production rates. The input variables were anaerobic digestion operating parameters from a MWTP including volatile fatty acids, total/fixed/volatile solids, pH, and inflow rate, which were processed via correlation tests and principal component analysis. Overall, the results indicated that the processed data did not improve regression model performances. Additionally, the developed non-linear regression model with the unprocessed inputs had the best performance based on values including R = 0.81, RMSE = 0.95, and IA = 0.89. However, this model was less accurate, but interestingly had less uncertainty, as compared to ANN and ANFIS models which indicates the compromise between model accuracy and uncertainty. Thus, all three models were coupled with GA optimization with maximum biogas production rate estimates of 22.0, 23.1, and 28.6 m3/min for ANN, ANFIS, and non-linear regression models, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Asadi
- Department of Civil, Geological & Environmental Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Kerry McPhedran
- Department of Civil, Geological & Environmental Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
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Zhang J, Hu Z, Liu T, Wang Z, Guo J, Yuan Z, Zheng M. Feasibility of methane bioconversion to methanol by acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 197:117077. [PMID: 33812128 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bioconversion of biogas to value-added liquids has received increasing attention over the years. However, many biological processes are restricted under acidic conditions owing to the excessive carbon dioxide (CO2, 30-40% v/v) in biogas. Here, using an enriched culture dominated by acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) 'Candidatus Nitrosoglobus', this study examined the feasibility of producing methanol from methane in the CO2-acidified environment (i.e. pH of 5.0). Within the tested dissolved methane range (0.1-0.9 mM), methane oxidation by the acid-tolerant AOB culture followed first-order kinetics, with the same rate constant (i.e. 0.43 (L/(g VSS‧h)) between pH 7.0 and 5.0. The acidic methane oxidation showed robustness against high dissolved concentrations of CO2 (up to 4.06 mM) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S up to 0.11 mM), which led to a high methanol yield of about 30-40%. As such, the raw biogas containing toxic CO2 and H2S can directly serve for methanol production by this acid-tolerant AOB culture, economizing a conventionally costly biogas upgradation process. Afterwards, two batch reactors fed with methane and oxygen intermittently both obtained a final concentration of 1.5 mM CH3OH (equal to 72 mg chemical oxygen demand/L) in the liquid, suggesting it is a useful carbon source to enhance denitrification in wastewater treatment systems. In addition, ammonia availability was identified to be critical for a higher rate of this AOB-mediated methanol production. Overall, our results for the first time demonstrated the capability of a novel acid-tolerant AOB culture to oxidize methane, and also illustrated the technical feasibility to utilize raw biogas for methanol production at acidic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junji Zhang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Zhetai Hu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Tao Liu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiyao Wang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Min Zheng
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Sahoo KK, Goswami G, Das D. Biotransformation of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Into High-Value Products by Methanotrophs: Current State of Art and Future Prospects. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:636486. [PMID: 33776968 PMCID: PMC7987672 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.636486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional chemical methods to transform methane and carbon dioxide into useful chemicals are plagued by the requirement for extreme operating conditions and expensive catalysts. Exploitation of microorganisms as biocatalysts is an attractive alternative to sequester these C1 compounds and convert them into value-added chemicals through their inherent metabolic pathways. Microbial biocatalysts are advantageous over chemical processes as they require mild-operating conditions and do not release any toxic by-products. Methanotrophs are potential cell-factories for synthesizing a wide range of high-value products via utilizing methane as the sole source of carbon and energy, and hence, serve as excellent candidate for methane sequestration. Besides, methanotrophs are capable of capturing carbon dioxide and enzymatically hydrogenating it into methanol, and hence qualify to be suitable candidates for carbon dioxide sequestration. However, large-scale production of value-added products from methanotrophs still presents an overwhelming challenge, due to gas-liquid mass transfer limitations, low solubility of gases in liquid medium and low titer of products. This requires design and engineering of efficient reactors for scale-up of the process. The present review offers an overview of the metabolic architecture of methanotrophs and the range of product portfolio they can offer. Special emphasis is given on methanol biosynthesis as a potential biofuel molecule, through utilization of methane and alternate pathway of carbon dioxide sequestration. In view of the gas-liquid mass transfer and low solubility of gases, the key rate-limiting step in gas fermentation, emphasis is given toward reactor design consideration essential to achieve better process performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Kalyani Sahoo
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India
| | - Gargi Goswami
- Department of Biotechnology, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University, Visakhapatnam, India
| | - Debasish Das
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India
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Abstract
Methanotrophic bacteria represent a potential route to methane utilization and mitigation of methane emissions. In the first step of their metabolic pathway, aerobic methanotrophs use methane monooxygenases (MMOs) to activate methane, oxidizing it to methanol. There are two types of MMOs: a particulate, membrane-bound enzyme (pMMO) and a soluble, cytoplasmic enzyme (sMMO). The two MMOs are completely unrelated, with different architectures, metal cofactors, and mechanisms. The more prevalent of the two, pMMO, is copper-dependent, but the identity of its copper active site remains unclear. By contrast, sMMO uses a diiron active site, the catalytic cycle of which is well understood. Here we review the current state of knowledge for both MMOs, with an emphasis on recent developments and emerging hypotheses. In addition, we discuss obstacles to developing expression systems, which are needed to address outstanding questions and to facilitate future protein engineering efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Koo
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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22
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Photocatalytic non-oxidative coupling of methane: Recent progress and future. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C-PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2020.100400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Zhang X, Rabiee H, Frank J, Cai C, Stark T, Virdis B, Yuan Z, Hu S. Enhancing methane oxidation in a bioelectrochemical membrane reactor using a soluble electron mediator. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:173. [PMID: 33088343 PMCID: PMC7568384 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01808-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bioelectrochemical methane oxidation catalysed by anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) is constrained by limited methane bioavailability as well as by slow kinetics of extracellular electron transfer (EET) of ANME. In this study, we tested a combination of two strategies to improve the performance of methane-driven bioelectrochemical systems that includes (1) the use of hollow fibre membranes (HFMs) for efficient methane delivery to the ANME organisms and (2) the amendment of ferricyanide, an effective soluble redox mediator, to the liquid medium to enable electrochemical bridging between the ANME organisms and the anode, as well as to promote EET kinetics of ANME. RESULTS The combined use of HFMs and the soluble mediator increased the performance of ANME-based bioelectrochemical methane oxidation, enabling the delivery of up to 196 mA m-2, thereby outperforming the control system by 244 times when HFMs were pressurized at 1.6 bar. CONCLUSIONS Improving methane delivery and EET are critical to enhance the performance of bioelectrochemical methane oxidation. This work demonstrates that by process engineering optimization, energy recovery from methane through its direct oxidation at relevant rates is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Zhang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
| | - Hesamoddin Rabiee
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
| | - Joshua Frank
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
| | - Chen Cai
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
| | - Terra Stark
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
- Queensland Node of Metabolomics Australia, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
| | - Bernardino Virdis
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
| | - Shihu Hu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Australia
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Farhan Ul Haque M, Xu HJ, Murrell JC, Crombie A. Facultative methanotrophs - diversity, genetics, molecular ecology and biotechnological potential: a mini-review. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2020; 166:894-908. [PMID: 33085587 PMCID: PMC7660913 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) play a vital role in reducing atmospheric methane emissions, and hence mitigating their potent global warming effects. A significant proportion of the methane released is thermogenic natural gas, containing associated short-chain alkanes as well as methane. It was one hundred years following the description of methanotrophs that facultative strains were discovered and validly described. These can use some multi-carbon compounds in addition to methane, often small organic acids, such as acetate, or ethanol, although Methylocella strains can also use short-chain alkanes, presumably deriving a competitive advantage from this metabolic versatility. Here, we review the diversity and molecular ecology of facultative methanotrophs. We discuss the genetic potential of the known strains and outline the consequent benefits they may obtain. Finally, we review the biotechnological promise of these fascinating microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hui-Juan Xu
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Present address: Joint Institute for Environmental Research & Education, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - J. Colin Murrell
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Andrew Crombie
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Present address: School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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Xu M, Zhou H, Yang X, Angelidaki I, Zhang Y. Sulfide restrains the growth of Methylocapsa acidiphila converting renewable biogas to single cell protein. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 184:116138. [PMID: 32721763 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) that can use biogas and recycled nitrogen from wastewater as a sustainable feedstock for single cell protein (SCP) synthesis are receiving increasing attention. Though promising, limited knowledge is available on the alternative strains especially the ones that can tolerant to strict environments such as acidic conditions. Furthermore, how would the hydrogen sulfide affect the MOB (especially the alternative strains) for SCP synthesis when crude biogas is used as feedstock is still unknown. In this study, the capability of an acidic-tolerant methanotrophic bacterium Methylocapsa acidiphila for SCP production using raw biogas and the associated inhibitory effect of sulfide on the bioconversion was for the first time investigated. Results showed that the inhibitory effect of sulfide on the growth of M. acidiphila was observed starting from 8.13 mg L-1 Na2S (equivalent to approximately 1000 ppm of H2S in crude biogas). The total amino acid content in the dry biomass decreased more than two times due to sulfide inhibition compared with the control samples without the presence of sulfide (585.96 mg/g dry biomass), while the proportion of essential amino acids in the total amino acid was not affected when the concentration of Na2S was lower than 5.73 mg L-1. The performance of M. acidiphila in a sulfide-rich environment was further studied at different operational conditions. The feeding gas with a CH4/O2 ratio of 6:4 could help to alleviate the sulfide inhibition, compared with other ratios (4:6 and 8:2). Moreover, the sequential supply of the feed gas could also alleviate sulfide inhibition. In addition, the MOB's growth rate was higher when applying a higher mixing rate of 120 rpm, compared with 70 rpm and 0, due to a better gas-liquid mass transfer. The inoculum size of 20% and 10% resulted in a faster growth rate compared with the 5%. Furthermore, M. acidiphila could assimilate either NH4+ or NO3- as nitrogen source with a similar growth rate, giving it the potential to recycle nitrogen from a wide range of wastewaters. The results will not only create new knowledge for better understanding the role of hydrogen sulfide in the assimilation of raw biogas by acid-tolerant M. acidiphila but also provide technical insights into the development of an efficient and robust process for the waste-to-protein conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyi Xu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Huihui Zhou
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Xiaoyong Yang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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Methanol Production by " Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum" SolV under Different Growth Conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.01188-20. [PMID: 32631865 PMCID: PMC7480378 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01188-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of methanol, an important chemical, is completely dependent on natural gas. The current multistep chemical process uses high temperature and pressure to convert methane in natural gas to methanol. In this study, we used the methanotroph “Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum” SolV to achieve continuous methanol production from methane as the substrate. The production rate was highly dependent on the growth rate of this microorganism, and high conversion efficiencies were obtained. Using microorganisms for the production of methanol might enable the use of more sustainable sources of methane, such as biogas, rather than natural gas. Industrial methanol production converts methane from natural gas into methanol through a multistep chemical process. Biological methane-to-methanol conversion under moderate conditions and using biogas would be more environmentally friendly. Methanotrophs, bacteria that use methane as an energy source, convert methane into methanol in a single step catalyzed by the enzyme methane monooxygenase, but inhibition of methanol dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the subsequent conversion of methanol into formaldehyde, is a major challenge. In this study, we used the thermoacidophilic methanotroph “Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum” SolV for biological methanol production. This bacterium possesses a XoxF-type methanol dehydrogenase that is dependent on rare earth elements for activity. By using a cultivation medium nearly devoid of lanthanides, we reduced methanol dehydrogenase activity and obtained a continuous methanol-producing microbial culture. The methanol production rate and conversion efficiency were growth-rate dependent. A maximal conversion efficiency of 63% mol methanol produced per mol methane consumed was obtained at a relatively high growth rate, with a methanol production rate of 0.88 mmol/g (dry weight)/h. This study demonstrates that methanotrophs can be used for continuous methanol production. Full-scale application will require additional increases in the titer, production rate, and efficiency, which can be achieved by further decreasing the lanthanide concentration through the use of increased biomass concentrations and novel reactor designs to supply sufficient gases, including methane, oxygen, and hydrogen. IMPORTANCE The production of methanol, an important chemical, is completely dependent on natural gas. The current multistep chemical process uses high temperature and pressure to convert methane in natural gas to methanol. In this study, we used the methanotroph “Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum” SolV to achieve continuous methanol production from methane as the substrate. The production rate was highly dependent on the growth rate of this microorganism, and high conversion efficiencies were obtained. Using microorganisms for the production of methanol might enable the use of more sustainable sources of methane, such as biogas, rather than natural gas.
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Sun MT, Zhao YZ, Yang ZM, Shi XS, Wang L, Dai M, Wang F, Guo RB. Methane Elimination Using Biofiltration Packed With Fly Ash Ceramsite as Support Material. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:351. [PMID: 32391347 PMCID: PMC7188830 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methane is a greenhouse gas and significantly contributes to global warming. Methane biofiltration with immobilized methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) is an efficient and eco-friendly approach for methane elimination. To achieve high methane elimination capacity (EC), it is necessary to use an exceptional support material to immobilize MOB. The MOB consortium was inoculated in biofilters to continuusly eliminate 1% (v/v) of methane. Results showed that the immobilized MOB cells outperformed than the suspended MOB cells. The biofilter packed with fly ash ceramsite (FAC) held the highest average methane EC of 4.628 g h–1 m–3, which was 33.4% higher than that of the biofilter with the suspended MOB cells. The qPCR revealed that FAC surface presented the highest pmoA gene abundance, which inferred that FAC surface immobilized the most MOB biomass. The XPS and contact angle measurement indicated that the desirable surface elemental composition and stronger surface hydrophilicity of FAC might favor MOB immobilization and accordingly improve methane elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Ting Sun
- College of Electromechanical Engineering, Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Preparation and Application of High-Performance Carbon-Materials, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Yu-Zhong Zhao
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production & Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhi-Man Yang
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production & Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Shuang Shi
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production & Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production & Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng Dai
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production & Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Fei Wang
- College of Electromechanical Engineering, Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Preparation and Application of High-Performance Carbon-Materials, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Rong-Bo Guo
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production & Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian, China
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Chen AY, Lan EI. Chemical Production from Methanol Using Natural and Synthetic Methylotrophs. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e1900356. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201900356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arvin Y. Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and BioengineeringNational Chiao Tung University Hsinchu 30010 Taiwan
| | - Ethan I. Lan
- Department of Biological Science and TechnologyNational Chiao Tung University Hsinchu 30010 Taiwan
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Combination of Chemo- and Biocatalysis: Conversion of Biomethane to Methanol and Formic Acid. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9142798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In the present day, methanol is mainly produced from methane via reforming processes, but research focuses on alternative production routes. Herein, we present a chemo-/biocatalytic oxidation cascade as a novel process to currently available methods. Starting from synthetic biogas, in the first step methane was oxidized to formaldehyde over a mesoporous VOx/SBA-15 catalyst. In the second step, the produced formaldehyde was disproportionated enzymatically towards methanol and formic acid in equimolar ratio by formaldehyde dismutase (FDM) obtained from Pseudomonas putida. Two processing routes were demonstrated: (a) batch wise operation using free formaldehyde dismutase after accumulating formaldehyde from the first step and (b) continuous operation with immobilized enzymes. Remarkably, the chemo-/biocatalytic oxidation cascades generate methanol in much higher productivity compared to methane monooxygenase (MMO) which, however, directly converts methane. Moreover, production steps for the generation of formic acid were reduced from four to two stages.
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Su YC, Sathyamoorthy S, Chandran K. Bioaugmented methanol production using ammonia oxidizing bacteria in a continuous flow process. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 279:101-107. [PMID: 30711750 PMCID: PMC6395879 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.01.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Organic compounds such as methanol are widely used for enhancing denitrification at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to meet effluent water quality permits. On the other hand, methane, which is the main feedstock for industrial methanol production, is also generated during anaerobic digestion in WWTPs, but is often flared to mitigate its greenhouse impacts. The overarching goal herein was to develop a novel continuous process for methanol production from methane using nitrifying activated sludge. The maximum AOB specific methanol production rate using hydroxylamine as electron donor was 1.61 ± 0.15 and 1.27 ± 0.15 mg-COD-CH3OH/(mg-COD-AOB*d), for hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 7.5 h and 2 h, respectively. The corresponding production rate using ammonia as electron donor was 0.31 ± 0.08 mg-COD-CH3OH/(mg-COD-AOB*d) at a HRT of 2 h. These results show that nitrifier-mediated methanol production in a continuous-flow system can enhance the efficiency of WWTPs through internal production of biomethanol for denitrification, while simultaneously minimizing wasteful biogas flaring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chen Su
- Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, 500 West 120th Street, Room 1045 Mudd Hall, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Sandeep Sathyamoorthy
- Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, 500 West 120th Street, Room 1045 Mudd Hall, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Kartik Chandran
- Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, 500 West 120th Street, Room 1045 Mudd Hall, New York, NY 10027, United States.
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Bio-conversion of methane into high profit margin compounds: an innovative, environmentally friendly and cost-effective platform for methane abatement. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 35:16. [PMID: 30617555 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-018-2587-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite the environmental relevance of CH4 and forthcoming stricter regulations, the development of cost-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for CH4 abatement is still limited. To date, one of the most promising solutions for the mitigation of this important GHG consists of the bioconversion of CH4 into bioproducts with a high profit margin. In this context, methanotrophs have been already proven as cell-factories of some of the most expensive products synthesized by microorganisms. In the case of ectoine (1000 $ kg-1), already described methanotrophic genera such as Methylomicrobium can accumulate up to 20% (ectoine wt-1) using methane as the only carbon source. Moreover, α-methanotrophs, such as Methylosynus and Methylocystis, are able to store bioplastic concentrations up to 50-60% of their total cell content. More than that, methanotrophs are one of the greatest potential producers of methanol and exopolysaccharides. Although this methanotrophic factory could be enhanced throughout metabolic engineering, the valorization of CH4 into valuable metabolites has been already consistently demonstrated under continuous and discontinuous mode, producing more than one compound in the same bioprocess, and using both, single strains and specific consortia. This review states the state-of-the-art of this innovative biotechnological platform by assessing its potential and current limitations.
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33
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Biological treatment of organic materials for energy and nutrients production—Anaerobic digestion and composting. ADVANCES IN BIOENERGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aibe.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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34
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La H, Hettiaratchi JPA, Achari G, Dunfield PF. Biofiltration of methane. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 268:759-772. [PMID: 30064899 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The on-going annual increase in global methane (CH4) emissions can be largely attributed to anthropogenic activities. However, as more than half of these emissions are diffuse and possess a concentration less than 3% (v/v), physical-chemical treatments are inefficient as an abatement technology. In this regard, biotechnologies, such as biofiltration using methane-oxidizing bacteria, or methanotrophs, are a cost-effective and efficient means of combating diffuse CH4 emissions. In this review, a number of abiotic factors including temperature, pH, water content, packing material, empty-bed residence time, inlet gas flow rate, CH4 concentration, as well biotic factors, such as biomass development, are reviewed based on empirical findings on CH4 biofiltration studies that have been performed in the last decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen La
- Department of Civil Engineering, Center for Environmental Engineering Research and Education (CEERE), University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - J Patrick A Hettiaratchi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Center for Environmental Engineering Research and Education (CEERE), University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Gopal Achari
- Department of Civil Engineering, Center for Environmental Engineering Research and Education (CEERE), University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 Canada.
| | - Peter F Dunfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 Canada
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Patel SKS, Kumar V, Mardina P, Li J, Lestari R, Kalia VC, Lee JK. Methanol production from simulated biogas mixtures by co-immobilized Methylomonas methanica and Methylocella tundrae. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 263:25-32. [PMID: 29729538 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.04.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, co-cultures of the methanotrophs Methylocella tundrae, Methyloferula stellata, and Methylomonas methanica were evaluated for improving methanol production with their application. Among the different combinations, the co-culture of M. tundrae and M. methanica increased methanol production to 4.87 mM using methane (CH4) as feed. When simulated biogas mixtures were used as feed, the maximum methanol production was improved to 8.66, 8.45, and 9.65 mM by free and encapsulated co-cultures in 2% alginate and silica-gel, respectively. Under repeated batch conditions, free and immobilized co-cultures using alginate and silica-gel resulted in high cumulative production, up to 24.43, 35.95, and 47.35 mM, using simulated biohythane (CH4 and hydrogen), respectively. This is the first report of methanol production from defined free and immobilized co-cultures using simulated biogas mixtures as feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay K S Patel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Virendra Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Primata Mardina
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinglin Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Rowina Lestari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Vipin C Kalia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Kul Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.
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36
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AlSayed A, Fergala A, Eldyasti A. Influence of biomass density and food to microorganisms ratio on the mixed culture type I methanotrophs enriched from activated sludge. J Environ Sci (China) 2018; 70:87-96. [PMID: 30037414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2017.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Methanotrophic based process can be the remedy to offset the wastewater treatment facilities increasing energy requirements due to methanotroph's unique ability to integrate methane assimilation with multiple biotechnological applications like biological nitrogen removal and methanol production. Regardless of the methanotrophic process end product, the challenge to maintain stable microbial growth in the methanotrophs cultivation bioreactor at higher cell densities is one of the major obstacles facing the process upscaling. Therefore, a series of consecutive batch tests were performed to attentively investigate the biomass density influence on type I methanotrophs bacterial growth. In addition, food to microorganisms (F/M), carbon to nitrogen (C/N) and nitrogen to microorganisms (N/M) ratio effect on the microbial activity was studied for the first time. It was clarified that the F/M ratio is the most influencing factor on the microbial growth at higher biomass densities rather than the biomass density increase, whereas C/N and N/M ratio change, while using nitrate as the nitrogen source, does not influence methanotrophs microbial growth. These study results would facilitate the scaling up of methanotrophic based biotechnology by identifying that F/M ratio as the key parameter that influences methanotrophs cultivation at high biomass densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed AlSayed
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Ahmed Fergala
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Ahmed Eldyasti
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada.
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37
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Lieven C, Herrgård MJ, Sonnenschein N. Microbial Methylotrophic Metabolism: Recent Metabolic Modeling Efforts and Their Applications In Industrial Biotechnology. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1800011. [PMID: 29917330 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Developing methylotrophic bacteria into cell factories that meet the chemical demand of the future could be both economical and environmentally friendly. Methane is not only an abundant, low-cost resource but also a potent greenhouse gas, the capture of which could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rational strain design workflows rely on the availability of carefully combined knowledge often in the form of genome-scale metabolic models to construct high-producer organisms. In this review, the authors present the most recent genome-scale metabolic models in aerobic methylotrophy and their applications. Further, the authors present models for the study of anaerobic methanotrophy through reverse methanogenesis and suggest organisms that may be of interest for expanding one-carbon industrial biotechnology. Metabolic models of methylotrophs are scarce, yet they are important first steps toward rational strain-design in these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Lieven
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Markus J Herrgård
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nikolaus Sonnenschein
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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38
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Bolzonella D, Battista F, Cavinato C, Gottardo M, Micolucci F, Lyberatos G, Pavan P. Recent developments in biohythane production from household food wastes: A review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 257:311-319. [PMID: 29501273 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.02.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biohythane is a hydrogen-methane blend with hydrogen concentration between 10 and 30% v/v. It can be produced from different organic substrates by two sequential anaerobic stages: a dark fermentation step followed by a second an anaerobic digestion step, for hydrogen and methane production, respectively. The advantages of this blend compared to either hydrogen or methane, as separate biofuels, are first presented in this work. The two-stage anaerobic process and the main operative parameters are then discussed. Attention is focused on the production of biohythane from household food wastes, one of the most abundant organic substrate available for anaerobic digestion: the main milestones and the future trends are exposed. In particular, the possibility to co-digest food wastes and sewage sludge to improve the process yield is discussed. Finally, the paper illustrates the developments of biohythane application in the automotive sector as well as its reduced environmental burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bolzonella
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Federico Battista
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Cristina Cavinato
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Dorsoduro 3246, 30123 Venezia, Italy
| | - Marco Gottardo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Dorsoduro 3246, 30123 Venezia, Italy
| | - Federico Micolucci
- Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Gerasimos Lyberatos
- School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou 15780, Greece
| | - Paolo Pavan
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Dorsoduro 3246, 30123 Venezia, Italy
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39
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Ghaz-Jahanian MA, Khoshfetrat AB, Hosseinian Rostami M, Haghighi Parapari M. An innovative bioprocess for methane conversion to methanol using an efficient methane transfer chamber coupled with an airlift bioreactor. Chem Eng Res Des 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2018.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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40
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Lim HG, Lee JH, Noh MH, Jung GY. Rediscovering Acetate Metabolism: Its Potential Sources and Utilization for Biobased Transformation into Value-Added Chemicals. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2018; 66:3998-4006. [PMID: 29637770 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b00458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
One of the great advantages of microbial fermentation is the capacity to convert various carbon compounds into value-added chemicals. In this regard, there have been many efforts to engineer microorganisms to facilitate utilization of abundant carbon sources. Recently, the potential of acetate as a feedstock has been discovered; efforts have been made to produce various biochemicals from acetate based on understanding of its metabolism. In this review, we discuss the potential sources of acetate and summarized the recent progress to improve acetate utilization with microorganisms. Furthermore, we also describe representative studies that engineered microorganisms for the production of biochemicals from acetate.
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41
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AlSayed A, Fergala A, Khattab S, Eldyasti A. Kinetics of type I methanotrophs mixed culture enriched from waste activated sludge. Biochem Eng J 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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42
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Enzmann F, Mayer F, Rother M, Holtmann D. Methanogens: biochemical background and biotechnological applications. AMB Express 2018; 8:1. [PMID: 29302756 PMCID: PMC5754280 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-017-0531-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Since fossil sources for fuel and platform chemicals will become limited in the near future, it is important to develop new concepts for energy supply and production of basic reagents for chemical industry. One alternative to crude oil and fossil natural gas could be the biological conversion of CO2 or small organic molecules to methane via methanogenic archaea. This process has been known from biogas plants, but recently, new insights into the methanogenic metabolism, technical optimizations and new technology combinations were gained, which would allow moving beyond the mere conversion of biomass. In biogas plants, steps have been undertaken to increase yield and purity of the biogas, such as addition of hydrogen or metal granulate. Furthermore, the integration of electrodes led to the development of microbial electrosynthesis (MES). The idea behind this technique is to use CO2 and electrical power to generate methane via the microbial metabolism. This review summarizes the biochemical and metabolic background of methanogenesis as well as the latest technical applications of methanogens. As a result, it shall give a sufficient overview over the topic to both, biologists and engineers handling biological or bioelectrochemical methanogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Enzmann
- DECHEMA Research Institute, Industrial Biotechnology, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Florian Mayer
- DECHEMA Research Institute, Industrial Biotechnology, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael Rother
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institut für Mikrobiologie, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01217 Dresden, Germany
| | - Dirk Holtmann
- DECHEMA Research Institute, Industrial Biotechnology, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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43
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Xu F, Khalaf A, Sheets J, Ge X, Keener H, Li Y. Phosphorus Removal and Recovery From Anaerobic Digestion Residues. ADVANCES IN BIOENERGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aibe.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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44
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Bennett RK, Steinberg LM, Chen W, Papoutsakis ET. Engineering the bioconversion of methane and methanol to fuels and chemicals in native and synthetic methylotrophs. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 50:81-93. [PMID: 29216497 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Methylotrophy describes the ability of organisms to utilize reduced one-carbon compounds, notably methane and methanol, as growth and energy sources. Abundant natural gas supplies, composed primarily of methane, have prompted interest in using these compounds, which are more reduced than sugars, as substrates to improve product titers and yields of bioprocesses. Engineering native methylotophs or developing synthetic methylotrophs are emerging fields to convert methane and methanol into fuels and chemicals under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This review discusses recent progress made toward engineering native methanotrophs for aerobic and anaerobic methane utilization and synthetic methylotrophs for methanol utilization. Finally, strategies to overcome the limitations involved with synthetic methanol utilization, notably methanol dehydrogenase kinetics and ribulose 5-phosphate regeneration, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kyle Bennett
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA; The Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA
| | - Lisa M Steinberg
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA; The Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Eleftherios T Papoutsakis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA; The Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA.
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45
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Stone KA, Hilliard MV, He QP, Wang J. A mini review on bioreactor configurations and gas transfer enhancements for biochemical methane conversion. Biochem Eng J 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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46
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Pieja AJ, Morse MC, Cal AJ. Methane to bioproducts: the future of the bioeconomy? Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 41:123-131. [PMID: 29197255 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Methanotrophs have been studied since the 1970s, but interest has increased tremendously in recent years due to their potential to transform methane into valuable bioproducts. The vast quantity of available methane and the low price of methane as natural gas have helped to spur this interest. The most well-studied, biologically-derived products from methane include methanol, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and single cell protein. However, many other high-interest chemicals such as biofuels or high-value products such as ectoine could be made industrially relevant through metabolic engineering. Although challenges must be overcome to achieve commercialization of biologically manufactured methane-to-products, taking a holistic view of the production process or radically re-imagining pathways could lead to a future bioeconomy with methane as the primary feedstock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison J Pieja
- Mango Materials, 490 Lake Park Ave #16098, Oakland, CA 94610, United States.
| | - Molly C Morse
- Mango Materials, 490 Lake Park Ave #16098, Oakland, CA 94610, United States
| | - Andrew J Cal
- USDA-ARS-WRRC, Bioproducts Research Unit, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, United States
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47
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Sheets JP, Lawson K, Ge X, Wang L, Yu Z, Li Y. Development and evaluation of a trickle bed bioreactor for enhanced mass transfer and methanol production from biogas. Biochem Eng J 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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48
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Hill EA, Chrisler WB, Beliaev AS, Bernstein HC. A flexible microbial co-culture platform for simultaneous utilization of methane and carbon dioxide from gas feedstocks. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2017; 228:250-256. [PMID: 28092828 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.12.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A new co-cultivation technology is presented that converts greenhouse gasses, CH4 and CO2, into microbial biomass. The methanotrophic bacterium, Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20z, was coupled to a cyanobacterium, Synechococcus PCC 7002 via oxygenic photosynthesis. The system exhibited robust growth on diverse gas mixtures ranging from biogas to those representative of a natural gas feedstock. A continuous processes was developed on a synthetic natural gas feed that achieved steady-state by imposing coupled light and O2 limitations on the cyanobacterium and methanotroph, respectively. Continuous co-cultivation resulted in an O2 depleted reactor and does not require CH4/O2 mixtures to be fed into the system, thereby enhancing process safety considerations over traditional methanotroph mono-culture platforms. This co-culture technology is scalable with respect to its ability to utilize different gas streams and its biological components constructed from model bacteria that can be metabolically customized to produce a range of biofuels and bioproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Hill
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - William B Chrisler
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Alex S Beliaev
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Hans C Bernstein
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA; The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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Abstract
Alcohols (CnHn+2OH) are classified into primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols, which can be branched or unbranched. They can also feature more than one OH-group (two OH-groups = diol; three OH-groups = triol). Presently, except for ethanol and sugar alcohols, they are mainly produced from fossil-based resources, such as petroleum, gas, and coal. Methanol and ethanol have the highest annual production volume accounting for 53 and 91 million tons/year, respectively. Most alcohols are used as fuels (e.g., ethanol), solvents (e.g., butanol), and chemical intermediates.This chapter gives an overview of recent research on the production of short-chain unbranched alcohols (C1-C5), focusing in particular on propanediols (1,2- and 1,3-propanediol), butanols, and butanediols (1,4- and 2,3-butanediol). It also provides a short summary on biobased higher alcohols (>C5) including branched alcohols.
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Kondratenko EV, Peppel T, Seeburg D, Kondratenko VA, Kalevaru N, Martin A, Wohlrab S. Methane conversion into different hydrocarbons or oxygenates: current status and future perspectives in catalyst development and reactor operation. Catal Sci Technol 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cy01879c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This Perspective highlights recent developments in methane conversion into different hydrocarbons and C1-oxygenates. Our analysis identified possible directions for further research to bring the above approaches to a commercial level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tim Peppel
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock
- D-18059 Rostock
- Germany
| | - Dominik Seeburg
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock
- D-18059 Rostock
- Germany
| | - Vita A. Kondratenko
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock
- D-18059 Rostock
- Germany
| | - Narayana Kalevaru
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock
- D-18059 Rostock
- Germany
| | - Andreas Martin
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock
- D-18059 Rostock
- Germany
| | - Sebastian Wohlrab
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock
- D-18059 Rostock
- Germany
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