Enhanced biobutanol production using novel clostridial fusants in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of green renewable agriculture residues

Abstract

Thermostable Clostridia species were developed in the present study through protoplast fusion between mesophilic and thermophilic clostridial species. Two parental strains of Clostridia species, Clostridium acetobutylicum (ATCC 4259) and Clostridium beijerinckii (ATCC BA101), along with three fused strains, Clostridium acetobutylicum Clostridium thermocellum (CaCt), Clostridium beijerinckii Clostridium thermocellum (CbCt) and Clostridium acetobutylicum Clostridium beijerinckii (CaCb), were examined for biobutanol production using wheat straw (WS) as a feedstock in a batch process of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The objective of the study was to use the thermotolerant fused strains to enhance enzymatic activity during the SSF by raising the incubation temperature and thereby eventually increasing biobutanol production. Results from the current study indicated that the fused strains were able to produce the required enzymes at higher temperature essential for the saccharification of WS (i.e., endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and β‐glucosidase). This will have a major impact on eliminating costs associated with adding enzymes to the saccharification process. Fused strain CbCt achieved the highest biobutanol production of up to 14.13 g/L (i.e., a yield of 0.29) at 45 °C with total sugar consumption of 82%. Enzymatic activity of CbCt was found to be 61.67 FPU (filter paper unit) which was the highest in comparison with other fused strains evaluated in this study. These results indicate a breakthrough for the technological and economical obstacles associated with industrialization of the SSF process. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Optimisation of Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) for Biobutanol Production Using Pretreated Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

“…Therefore, current interest has shifted towards greener biofuels such as biobutanol, bioethanol, biodiesel, biohydrogen and biomethane. Among these biofuels, biobutanol possesses attractive characteristic as a replacement fuel for gasoline or as a fuel additive [ 3 ]. Biobutanol produced from the biological route of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation by Clostridia species has the same chemical properties with butanol produced from petrochemical route.…”

Improving isopropanol tolerance and production of Clostridium beijerinckii DSM 6423 by random mutagenesis and genome shuffling

“…A practical genome shuffling procedure was developed and successfully applied to the nonconventional yeast Pichia anomala to increase sugar alcohol production (Zhang et al 2015 ). Interspecies shuffling is also possible as demonstrated by the development of a thermostable Clostridia resulting in protoplast fusion between mesophilic and thermophilic species and leading to an ability to produce enzymes at higher temperatures (Begum and Dahman 2015 ).…”

An Assessment Of Microalgal Biodiesel With Acetone, Butanol and Ethanol Using LIfe Cycle Assessment (LCA) Methodology

“…Second generation biofuel feedstock is the non-edible by-product of food crops. For example, wheat straw from wheat production and cornhusks from corn cultivation are second generation feedstock (Begum & Dahman, 2015). There are advantages to using the inevitable by-product of the agricultural industry for biofuel production; no additional fertilizer, water or land is required to grow this feedstock.…”

“…Expensive processes arguments against biofuel production from second generation feedstock plague this biofuel pathway (Sims et al, 2010). Regardless, second generation biofuel research and policy has the potential to develop this biofuel pathway into a productive source of biofuel (Balan, 2014;Begum & Dahman, 2015; United States of America Department of Energy, 2017).…”

“…Adding a catalyst decreases the time and temperature needed overall thereby decreasing the likelihood of inhibitor production during the treatment (Kumar et al, 2009). After the catalyst, typically a strong acid, is added and allowed to react, the biomass is then moved to a steam reactor, which operates at approximately 190ºC and 1.3 MPa (Begum & Dahman, 2015). Once the biomass is heated and pressured, it is moved to a second, larger reactor where the biomass experiences a drastic drop in pressure that will cause it to explode.…”