SBIR Phase II: Integration of carbohydrate and gaseous fermentations for maximum C3 and C4 chemical yield

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is to develop renewable and domestic chemical production and transportation fuel technologies that are cheaper, greener and more sustainable. Additionally, chemical companies are constantly looking for ways to improve business sustainability by reducing carbon footprints along with cost of manufacturing. Mixotrophic fermentation can be a step-change improvement in microbial fermentation for the production of numerous intermediate and commodity chemicals. Yields from feedstock can be increased substantially, and CO2 gas produced from the fermentation, as a waste byproduct can instead be captured and assimilated into valuable chemicals, which translates into a significant improvement in yield and productivity for any applicable commodity or intermediate chemical production process. Consequently, the commercial and environmental implications of this innovative technological approach are tremendous. Furthermore, this project could significantly enhance scientific and technological understanding of microbial physiology and metabolism during gas and carbohydrate fermentation. The objectives of this Phase II research project are to develop and scale-up platform strains for C3 and C4 chemical production using carbon efficient pathways. The approach being developed is referred to as Anaerobic Non-Photosynthetic (ANP) mixotrophic fermentation, and process advancements will focus on bioreactor operation parameters, media formulations, and integration with product separation. By the end of this project, the project will likely have demonstrated and validated enhanced mass yield of C3 and/or C4 metabolite production at pilot-scale using ANP mixotrophic fermentation.