Biomass Re-Utilization Processes in Industrial Biotechnology

Lead organization: Geno

Year launched: 2022

Using cell recycling this project will explore, research, test, and validate methods to improve fermentation process yields from bacterial biocatalysts. Accomplishing this project will contribute to saving money, sugar and time in fermentation of products in which minimizing operating costs is critical to achieve positive economic margins. This research will create a process to recycle biomass for 2 or more rounds of fermentation without negatively impacting the key fermentation performance indicators of titer, rate, and yield. In essence, this will allow processes normally restricted to fed batch or batch fermentations some of the advantages of continuous fermentation. Genomatica will use a 1,4-butanediol (bio-BDO®) host strain from previously published work from the company followed by pilot scale testing using (more) commercially viable bio-BDO® strains. BDO is normally derived from fossil fuels while Genomatica has described and brought to commercial scale Escherichia coli strains producing bio-BDO®. While some of these strains are already in commercial use, ways to further lower operating costs will be advantageous as part of Genomatica’s ongoing improvements programs supporting their existing and future licensees. The Genomatica team proposes to explore and test genes that can increase the rate of sedimentation of E. coli cells in fermentation broth to maximize the rate of sedimentation towards or at the end of fermentation. In turn, we propose to evaluate and test multiple, mechanical means of cell separation for speed, effects on metabolism and product synthesis as well as economic factors. These will be evaluated at laboratory scale in Genomatica’s Precision Fermentation facility. Selected strains and processes will be tested and validated at pilot scale.

Funding source: BioMADE Project Call 2.0