Advanced process designs for intensified conversion of CO₂ to bioproducts

Single-carbon and gaseous fermentation feedstocks have the potential to revolutionize biomanufacturing. Their low cost and availability from diverse sources—including anaerobic digestion, ethanol fermentation, industrial off-gases, biomass gasification, and electrochemical CO₂ reduction— make them attractive for sustainable production.

However, achieving industrial-scale bioconversion of these feedstocks presents significant challenges, particularly in:

1. Gas-to-liquid mass transfer: Ensuring sufficient delivery of carbon sources, oxygen, and electron acceptors to the biocatalyst.
2. Optimizing gas partial pressures: Maintaining biologically favorable conditions for microbial growth and conversion.

To address these challenges, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Advanced Biofuels Process Development Unit (ABPDU) have developed multiplexed gas fermentation bioreactor systems with:

✔ Active backpressure control to enhance mass transfer efficiency.
✔ Feedback-based gas supply for optimized feedstock delivery.
✔ Continuous off-gas analysis to enable complete mass balance closure.

What You’ll Learn:

✅ Key successes in CO₂ conversion and their implications for industrial-scale gas fermentation.

✅ Breakthrough applications, including:

• Direct biological uptake of atmospheric CO₂ by engineered Cupriavidus necator.
• Efficient co-conversion of mixed C1 substrates.
• Direct aerobic conversion of carbon monoxide to biofuel precursors in Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava.

✅ How ABPDU serves as a federally funded testbed for accelerating C1 biomanufacturing technologies.

Join us to explore the latest advancements in integrated gas fermentation process development and discover how these innovations are shaping the future of sustainable biomanufacturing.