STTR Phase II:Engineering Clostridial Fermentation for Biobutanol Production

This STTR Phase II project will develop novel engineered Clostridia strains for fermentation and economically produce butanol as a biofuel from sugars derived from starchy and lignocellulosic biomass. The conventional acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation has low butanol yield (<25%), butanol concentration (<16 g/L), and reactor productivity (<0.5 g/L?h) due to a strong butanol inhibition, and the fermentation process is difficult to improve due to the complicated metabolic pathways and gene regulation involved in the production microorganisms, mainly Clostridium acetobutylicum. The broader impact/commercial potential of the project is to produce butanol as a biofuel from sugars derived from starchy and lignocellulosic biomass. Biobutanol has great value as an alternative transportation fuel. There is a huge potential commercial and societal impact in improving yields and reducing costs of butanol production. The research and other activity proposed could lead directly to a marketable product and process and leads to several enabling technologies, including better manipulation of C. tyrobutylicum, further demonstration of strain improvements using the FBB, and others.