Using gas mixtures of CO, CO2 and H2 as microbial substrates: the do's and don'ts of successful technology transfer from laboratory to production scale

• Published in: Microbial biotechnology Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 606 - 625
• Main Authors: Takors, Ralf, Kopf, Michael, Mampel, Joerg, Bluemke, Wilfried, Blombach, Bastian, Eikmanns, Bernhard, Bengelsdorf, Frank R., Weuster‐Botz, Dirk, Dürre, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken John Wiley and Sons Inc 01.07.2018
• Subjects: Minireview
• ISSN: 1751-7915; 1751-7915
• DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13270

Summary The reduction of CO2 emissions is a global effort which is not only supported by the society and politicians but also by the industry. Chemical producers worldwide follow the strategic goal to reduce CO2 emissions by replacing existing fossil‐based production routes with sustainable alternatives. The smart use of CO and CO2/H2 mixtures even allows to produce important chemical building blocks consuming the said gases as substrates in carboxydotrophic fermentations with acetogenic bacteria. However, existing industrial infrastructure and market demands impose constraints on microbes, bioprocesses and products that require careful consideration to ensure technical and economic success. The mini review provides scientific and industrial facets finally to enable the successful implementation of gas fermentation technologies in the industrial scale. Today, chemical industry follows the strategic goal to reduce the manufacturing CO2 footprint. The use of CO‐enriched gas as a substrate for fermentation processes is an attractive alternative to the use of fossile ressources. This review provides an overview of metabolic and biochemical engineering backgrounds and outlines the particular needs to integrate gas fermentation in existing infrastructure of value added chains in chemical industry.