Recent advances in ABE fermentation: hyper-butanol producing Clostridium beijerinckii BA101

• Published in: Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 287 - 291
• Main Authors: Qureshi, N, Blaschek, H P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Oxford University Press 01-11-2001
• Subjects: acetone; Acetone - metabolism; Batch reactors; Bioengineering; Biotechnology; butanol; Butanols - metabolism; Cell growth; Clostridium - genetics; Clostridium - metabolism; Clostridium beijerinckii; Cost control; Culture Media; Economics; Enzymes; Ethanol; Ethanol - metabolism; Fermentation; Food science; Glucose; Industrial Microbiology - methods; Laboratories; Microbiology; Mutation; Nutrition; Reactors; Solvents; Solvents - metabolism; Starch; Starch - metabolism; Studies; Volatilization; Zea mays - chemistry
• ISSN: 1367-5435; 1476-5535
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.jim.7000114

This is an overview of the mutant strain Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 which produces solvents (acetone-butanol-ethanol, ABE) at elevated levels. This organism expresses high levels of amylases when grown on starch. C. beijerinckii BA101 hydrolyzes starch effectively and produces solvent in the concentration range of 27-29 g x l(-1). C. beijerinckii BA101 has been characterized for both substrate and butanol inhibition. Supplementing the fermentation medium (MP2) with sodium acetate enhances solvent production to 33 g x l(-1). The results of studies utilizing commercial fermentation medium and pilot plant-scale reactors are consistent with the results using small-scale reactors. Pervaporation, a technique to recover solvents, has been applied to fed-batch reactors containing C. beijerinckii BA101, and solvent production as high as 165 g x l(-1) has been achieved. Immobilization of C. beijerinckii BA101 by adsorption and use in a continuous reactor resulted in reactor productivity of 15.8 g x l(-1) x h(-1). Recent economic studies employing C. beijerinckii BA101 suggested that butanol can be produced at US$0.20-0.25 x lb(-1) by employing batch fermentation and distillative recovery. Application of new technologies such as pervaporation, fed-batch culture, and immobilized cell reactors is expected to further reduce these prices.