Effect of internal pressure and gas/liquid interface area on the CO mass transfer coefficient using hollow fibre membranes as a high mass transfer gas diffusing system for microbial syngas fermentation

Acetogen and acetogenesis for biological syngas valorization

The bioconversion of syngas using (homo)acetogens as biocatalysts shows promise as a viable option due to its higher selectivity and milder reaction conditions compared to thermochemical conversion. The current bioconversion process operates primarily to produce C2 chemicals (e.g., acetate and ethanol) with sufficient technology readiness levels (TRLs) in process engineering (as midstream) and product purification (as downstream). However, the economic feasibility of this process could be improved with greater biocatalytic options in the upstream phase. This review focuses on the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) which is a biological syngas-utilization pathway, redox balance and ATP generation, suggesting that the use of a specific biocatalysts including Eubacterium limosum could be advantageous in syngas valorization. A pertinent strategy to mainly produce chemicals with a high degree of reduction is also provided with examples of flux control, mixed cultivation and mixotrophy. Finally, this article presents future direction of industrial utilization of syngas fermentation.

Acetate Production from Syngas Produced from Lignocellulosic Biomass Materials along with Gaseous Fermentation of the Syngas: A Review

Biotransformation of lignocellulose-derived synthetic gas (syngas) into acetic acid is a promising way of creating biochemicals from lignocellulosic waste materials. Acetic acid has a growing market with applications within food, plastics and for upgrading into a wide range of biofuels and bio-products. In this paper, we will review the microbial conversion of syngas to acetic acid. This will include the presentation of acetate-producing bacterial strains and their optimal fermentation conditions, such as pH, temperature, media composition, and syngas composition, to enhance acetate production. The influence of syngas impurities generated from lignocellulose gasification will further be covered along with the means to alleviate impurity problems through gas purification. The problem with mass transfer limitation of gaseous fermentation will further be discussed as well as ways to improve gas uptake during the fermentation.

Task-specific polymeric membranes to achieve high gas-liquid mass transfer

In the current study, Polyimide (P84)-based polymeric membranes were fabricated and used as spargers in the bubble column reactor (BCR) to get a high gas-liquid mass transfer (GL-MT) rate of oxygen in water. Different polymeric membranes were fabricated by incorporating polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a porogen and a Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework (ZIF-8) to induce high porosity and hydrophobicity in the membranes. The GL-MT efficiency of membranes was evaluated by measuring the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k_La) of oxygen in air. The k_La of O₂ (in air) was measured by supplying the gas through a fixed membrane surface area of 11.94 cm² at a fixed gas flow rate of 3L/min under atmospheric pressure. The results revealed that adding porogen and ZIF-8 increased the porosity of the membranes compared to the pure polymeric membranes. In comparison, the ZIF-8 (3 wt%) based membrane showed the highest porosity (80%), hydrophobicity (95° contact angle) and k_La of oxygen in air (241.2 h^-1) with 78% saturation in only 60 s. ZIF-8 based membranes showed the potential to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in BCR by reducing the bubble size, increasing the number of bubbles, and improving the hydrophobicity. The study showed that ZIF-8 based membrane diffusers are expected to produce high GL-MT in microbial syngas fermentation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the fabrication and application of polymeric membranes for GL-MT applications. Further research should be conducted under real fermentation conditions to assess the practicality of the system to support substrate utilization, microbial growth, and product formation.

Determining global trends in syngas fermentation research through a bibliometric analysis

Syngas fermentation, in which microorganisms convert H₂, CO, and CO₂ to acids and alcohols, is a promising alternative for carbon cycling and valorization. The intellectual landscape of the topic was characterized through a bibliometric analysis using a search query (SQ) that included all relevant documents on syngas fermentation available through the Web of Science database up to December 31st, 2021. The SQ was validated with a preliminary analysis in bibliometrix and a review of titles and abstracts of all sources. Although syngas fermentation began in the early 1980s, it grew rapidly beginning in 2008, with 92.5% of total publications and 87.3% of total citations from 2008 to 2021. The field has been steadily moving from fundamentals towards applications, suggesting that the field is maturing scientifically. The greatest number of publications and citations are from the USA, and researchers in China, Germany, and Spain also are highly active. Although collaborations have increased in the past few years, author-cluster analysis shows specialized research domains with little collaboration between groups. Based on topic trends, the main challenges to be address are related to mass-transfer limitations, and researchers are starting to explore mixed cultures, genetic engineering, microbial chain elongation, and biorefineries.

Metabolism perturbation Causedby the overexpression of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase/Acetyl-CoA synthase gene complex accelerated gas to acetate conversion rate ofEubacterium limosumKIST612

Microbial conversion of carbon monoxide (CO) to acetate is a promising upcycling strategy for carbon sequestration. Herein, we demonstrate that CO conversion and acetate production rates of Eubacterium limosum KIST612 strain can be improved by in silico prediction and in vivo assessment. The mimicked CO metabolic model of KIST612 predicted that overexpressing the CO dehydrogenase (CODH) increases CO conversion and acetate production rates. To validate the prediction, we constructed mutant strains overexpressing CODH gene cluster and measured their CO conversion and acetate production rates. A mutant strain (ELM031) co-overexpressing CODH, coenzyme CooC2 and ACS showed a 3.1 × increased specific CO oxidation rate as well as 1.4 × increased specific acetate production rate, compared to the wild type strain. The transcriptional and translational data with redox balance analysis showed that ELM031 has enhanced reducing potential from up-regulation of ferredoxin and related metabolism directly linked to energy conservation.

Reactor Designs and Configurations for Biological and Bioelectrochemical C1 Gas Conversion: A Review

Microbial C1 gas conversion technologies have developed into a potentially promising technology for converting waste gases (CO₂, CO) into chemicals, fuels, and other materials. However, the mass transfer constraint of these poorly soluble substrates to microorganisms is an important challenge to maximize the efficiencies of the processes. These technologies have attracted significant scientific interest in recent years, and many reactor designs have been explored. Syngas fermentation and hydrogenotrophic methanation use molecular hydrogen as an electron donor. Furthermore, the sequestration of CO₂ and the generation of valuable chemicals through the application of a biocathode in bioelectrochemical cells have been evaluated for their great potential to contribute to sustainability. Through a process termed microbial chain elongation, the product portfolio from C1 gas conversion may be expanded further by carefully driving microorganisms to perform acetogenesis, solventogenesis, and reverse β-oxidation. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the various kinds of bioreactors that are employed in these microbial C1 conversion processes.

Residual Gas for Ethanol Production by Clostridium carboxidivorans in a Dual Impeller Stirred Tank Bioreactor (STBR)

Recycling residual industrial gases and residual biomass as substrates to biofuel production by fermentation is an important alternative to reduce organic wastes and greenhouse gases emission. Clostridium carboxidivorans can metabolize gaseous substrates as CO and CO2 to produce ethanol and higher alcohols through the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. However, the syngas fermentation is limited by low mass transfer rates. In this work, a syngas fermentation was carried out in serum glass bottles adding different concentrations of Tween® 80 in ATCC® 2713 culture medium to improve gas-liquid mass transfer. We observed a 200% increase in ethanol production by adding 0.15% (v/v) of the surfactant in the culture medium and a 15% increase in biomass production by adding 0.3% (v/v) of the surfactant in the culture medium. The process was reproduced in stirred tank bioreactor with continuous syngas low flow, and a maximum ethanol productivity of 0.050 g/L.h was achieved.

Membrane bioreactors for syngas permeation and fermentation

Syngas fermentation to biofuels and chemicals is an emerging technology in the biobased economy. Mass transfer is usually limiting the syngas fermentation rate, due to the low aqueous solubilities of the gaseous substrates. Membrane bioreactors, as efficient gas-liquid contactors, are a promising configuration for overcoming this gas-to-liquid mass transfer limitation, so that sufficient productivity can be achieved. We summarize the published performances of these reactors. Moreover, we highlight numerous parameters settings that need to be used for the enhancement of membrane bioreactor performance. To facilitate this enhancement, we relate mass transfer and other performance indicators to the type of membrane material, module, and flow configuration. Hollow fiber modules with dense or asymmetric membranes on which biofilm might form seem suitable. A model-based approach is advocated to optimize their performance.

Carboxylates and alcohols production in an autotrophic hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor

Microbiological conversion of CO₂ into biofuels and/or organic industrial feedstock is an excellent carbon-cycling strategy. Here, autotrophic anaerobic bacteria in the membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) transferred electrons from hydrogen gas (H₂ ) to inorganic carbon (IC) and produced organic acids and alcohols. We systematically varied the H₂ -delivery, the IC concentration, and the hydraulic retention time in the MBfR. The relative availability of H₂ versus IC was the determining factor for enabling microbial chain elongation (MCE). When the H₂ :IC mole ratio was high (>2.0 mol H₂ /mol C), MCE was an important process, generating medium-chain carboxylates up to octanoate (C8, 9.1 ± 1.3 mM C and 28.1 ± 4.1 mmol C m^-2  d^-1 ). Conversely, products with two carbons were the only ones present when the H₂ :IC ratio was low (<2.0 mol H₂ /mol C), so that H₂ was the limiting factor. The biofilm microbial community was enriched in phylotypes most similar to the well-known acetogen Acetobacterium for all conditions tested, but phylotypes closely related with families capable of MCE (e.g., Bacteroidales, Rhodocyclaceae, Alcaligenaceae, Thermoanaerobacteriales, and Erysipelotrichaceae) became important when the H₂ :IC ratio was high. Thus, proper management of IC availability and H₂ supply allowed control over community structure and function, reflected by the chain length of the carboxylates and alcohols produced in the MBfR.

Methane Monooxygenase Gene Transcripts as Quantitative Biomarkers of Methanotrophic Activity in Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

Methanotrophic microorganisms are characterized by their ability to oxidize methane. Globally they have a significant impact on methane emissions by attenuating net methane fluxes to the atmosphere in natural and engineered systems, though the populations are dynamic in their activity level in soils and waters. Methanotrophs oxidize methane using methane monooxygenase (MMO) enzymes, and selected subunit genes of the most common MMOs, specifically pmoA and mmoX, are used as biomarkers for the presence and abundance of populations of bacterial methanotrophs. The relative expression of these biomarker genes is dependent on copper-to-biomass ratios. Empirically derived quantitative relationships between methane oxidation biomarker transcript amounts and methanotrophic activity could facilitate determination of methane oxidation rates. In this study, pure cultures of a model type II methanotroph, Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, were grown in hollow-fiber membrane bioreactors (HFMBR) under different steady-state methane oxidation conditions. Methanotroph biomass (DNA based) and methane oxidation biomarker mRNA transcript amounts were determined using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR), respectively. Under both copper-present and copper-limited conditions, per-cell pmoA mRNA transcript levels positively correlated with measured per-cell methane oxidation rates across 3 orders of magnitude. These correlations, if maintained across different methanotrophs, could prove valuable for inferring in situ oxidation rates of methanotrophs and understanding the dynamics of their impact on net methane emissions.IMPORTANCE Methanotrophs are naturally occurring microorganisms capable of oxidizing methane and have an impact on global net methane emissions. The genes pmoA and mmoX are used as biomarkers for bacterial methanotrophs. Quantitative relationships between transcript amounts of these genes and methane oxidation rates could facilitate estimation of methanotrophic activity. In this study, a strong correlation was observed between per-cell pmoA transcript levels and per-cell methane oxidation rates for pure cultures of the aerobic methanotroph M. trichosporium OB3b grown in bioreactors. If similar relationships exist across different methanotrophs, they could prove valuable for inferring in situ oxidation rates of methanotrophs and better understanding their impact on net methane emissions.

Behavior of CO-water mass transfer coefficient in membrane sparger-integrated bubble column for synthesis gas fermentation

The gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient (k_La) of O₂ was investigated in a bubble column reactor (BCR) using a sintered gas filter (SF), ceramic membrane module (CMM), and hollow fiber membrane module (HFM), which have different ranges of gas supply areas. k_La was enhanced by increasing flow rate in all of the spargers. Different responses when changing the gas supply area were obtained depending on the sparger type. Average values of k_La that were 52 and 258% higher were obtained using a CMM-integrated BCR compared to SFs and HFMs. CO-water k_La was investigated using CMMs for application to gas fermentation. The CO-water k_La ranged from 28.3 to 113.7/h under the experimental conditions. Based on the experimental data from CO and O₂, a model to predict k_La was constructed for CMM-integrated BCRs. A dimensionless number indicating a gas supply area of the sparger was newly defined and included in the developed model.

A simultaneous gas feeding and cell-recycled reaction (SGCR) system to achieve biomass boosting and high acetate titer in microbial carbon monoxide fermentation

This study employed a simultaneous gas feeding and cell-recycled reaction (SGCR) system to ferment CO using Eubacterium limosum KIST612. A bubble column reactor was equipped with an ex-situ hollow fiber membrane module to enable cell recycling. The internal gas circulation rate was adjusted by controlling the pump speed to provide sufficient gas supplement to the microorganism. Gas feedings were conducted by either the use of a gas-tight bag (Batch), a pressurized gas cylinder (Continuous), or a sequential combination of the two (Mixed feeding). Mixed feeding mode achieved higher biomass (9.7 g/L) and acetate (9.8 g/L) concentrations than Batch mode (3.2 g/L biomass and 7.0 g/L acetate) or Continuous mode (5.0 g/L biomass and 8.1 g/L acetate). The high acetate titer in Mixed feeding mode was achieved due to the high concentration of cells secured in a short time at the initial operation stage and maintaining a high specific growth rate.

Clostridium sp. as Bio-Catalyst for Fuels and Chemicals Production in a Biorefinery Context

Clostridium sp. is a genus of anaerobic bacteria capable of metabolizing several substrates (monoglycerides, diglycerides, glycerol, carbon monoxide, cellulose, and more), into valuable products. Biofuels, such as ethanol and butanol, and several chemicals, such as acetone, 1,3-propanediol, and butyric acid, can be produced by these organisms through fermentation processes. Among the most well-known species, Clostridium carboxidivorans, C. ragsdalei, and C. ljungdahlii can be highlighted for their ability to use gaseous feedstocks (as syngas), obtained from the gasification or pyrolysis of waste material, to produce ethanol and butanol. C. beijerinckii is an important species for the production of isopropanol and butanol, with the advantage of using hydrolysate lignocellulosic material, which is produced in large amounts by first-generation ethanol industries. High yields of 1,3 propanediol by C. butyricum are reported with the use of another by-product from fuel industries, glycerol. In this context, several Clostridium wild species are good candidates to be used as biocatalysts in biochemical or hybrid processes. In this review, literature data showing the technical viability of these processes are presented, evidencing the opportunity to investigate them in a biorefinery context.

Investigation and Modeling of Gas-Liquid Mass Transfer in a Sparged and Non-Sparged Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor with Potential Application in Syngas Fermentation

Syngas (mixture of CO, H2 and CO2) fermentation suffers from mass transfer limitation due to low solubility of CO and H2 in the liquid medium. Therefore, it is critical to characterize the mass transfer in syngas fermentation reactors to guide in delivery of syngas to the microorganisms. The objective of this study is to measure and predict the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient, kLa for O2 at various operating conditions in a 7-L sparged and non-sparged continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). Measurements indicated that the kLa for O2 increased with an increase in air flow rate and agitation speed. However, kLa for O2 decreased with the increase in the headspace pressure. The highest kLa for O2 with air sparged in the CSTR was 116 h−1 at 600 sccm, 900 rpm, 101 kPa, and 3 L working volume. Backmixing of the headspace N2 in the sparged CSTR reduced the observed kLa. The mass transfer model predicted the kLa for O2 within 10% of the experimental values. The model was extended to predict the kLa for syngas components CO, CO2 and H2, which will guide in selecting operating conditions that minimize power input to the bioreactor and maximize the syngas conversion efficiency.

Measurement and prediction of mass transfer coefficients for syngas constituents in a hollow fiber reactor

Syngas fermentation for producing biofuels and other products suffers from mass transfer limitations due to low CO and H₂ solubility in liquid medium. Therefore, it is critical to characterize mass transfer rates of these gases to guide bioreactor design and optimization. This work presents a novel technique to measure the volumetric mass transfer coefficients (k_ia) for H₂ and CO using gas chromatography in a non-porous hollow fiber reactor (HFR). The largest measured k_ia for H₂ and CO were 840 and 420 h^-1, respectively. A model was developed to predict k_ia for H₂ and CO that agreed well with experimental data. This study is the first to measure, compare, and model both H₂ and CO mass transfer coefficients in an HFR. Based on model predictions, HFRs have the potential to be a reactor of choice for syngas fermentation as a result of high mass transfer that can support high cell densities.

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors for biohydrogen production: Recent developments, challenges and perspectives

Biohydrogen as one of the most appealing energy vector for the future represents attractive avenue in alternative energy research. Recently, variety of biohydrogen production pathways has been suggested to improve the key features of the process. Nevertheless, researches are still needed to overcome remaining barriers to practical applications such as low yields and production rates. Considering practicality aspects, this review emphasized on anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for biological hydrogen production. Recent advances and emerging issues associated with biohydrogen generation in AnMBR technology are critically discussed. Several techniques are highlighted that are aimed at overcoming these barriers. Moreover, environmental and economical potentials along with future research perspectives are addressed to drive biohydrogen technology towards practicality and economical-feasibility.

Mixed culture fermentation of synthesis gas in the microfiltration and ultrafiltration hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactors

The effects of pore sizes on the in-situ utilization of synthesis gas (syngas, H₂ and CO) mixed culture fermentation (MCF) in the hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactor (HfMBR) are not clear. Thus, the ultrafiltration (R1) and microfiltration (R2) HfMBRs were constructed. Syngas was totally consumed within the formed biofilm in R1; contrarily, it accumulated notably in R2. In the batch mode of R1 and R2, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) of acetate, butyrate and caproate were the main metabolites, but the production rate of total VFA in R1 (61.9 mmol-C/(L·d)) was higher than that of R2 (27.6 mmol-C/(L·d)). In the continuous mode, the R1 performance was much better than that of R2, and the biofilm in R2 was even washed out. Furthermore, Clostridium (30.0%) was the main genus in the enriched biofilm of R1, which converted syngas to VFAs. Thus, the ultrafiltration membrane shall be the suitable candidate for syngas MCF.

Bubble coalescence suppression driven carbon monoxide (CO)-water mass transfer increase by electrolyte addition in a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor (HFMBR) for microbial CO conversion to ethanol

This study investigated the effects of electrolytes (CaCl₂, K₂HPO₄, MgSO₄, NaCl, and NH₄Cl) on CO mass transfer and ethanol production in a HFMBR. The hollow fiber membranes (HFM) were found to generate tiny gas bubbles; the bubble coalescence was significantly suppressed in electrolyte solution. The volumetric gas-liquid mass transfer coefficients (k_La) increased up to 414% compared to the control. Saturated CO (C^∗) decreased as electrolyte concentrations increased. Overall, the maximum mass transfer rate (R_max) in electrolyte solution ranged from 106% to 339% of the value obtained in water. The electrolyte toxicity on cell growth was tested using Clostridium autoethanogenum. Most electrolytes, except for MgSO₄, inhibited cell growth. The HFMBR operation using a medium containing 1% MgSO₄ achieved 119% ethanol production compared to that without electrolytes. Finally, a kinetic simulation using the parameters got from the 1% MgSO₄ medium predicted a higher ethanol production compared to the control.

Biochemicals from food waste and recalcitrant biomass via syngas fermentation: A review

An effective method for the production of value-added chemicals from food waste and lignocellulosic materials is a hybrid thermal-biological process, which involves gasification of the solid materials to syngas (primarily CO and H₂) followed by fermentation. This paper reviews the recent advances in this process. The special focus is on the cultivation methods that involve the use of single strains, defined mixed cultures and undefined mixed cultures for production of carboxylic acids and higher alcohols. A rate limiting step in these processes is the low mass transfer between the gas and the liquid phases. Therefore, novel techniques that can enhance the gas-liquid mass transfer including membrane- and trickle-bed bioreactors were discussed. Such bioreactors have shown promising results in increasing the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k_La). High gas pressure also influences the mass transfer in certain batch processes, although the presence of impurities in the gas would impede the process.

Acetate-assisted increase of butyrate production by Eubacterium limosum KIST612 during carbon monoxide fermentation

The acetate-assisted cultivation of Eubacterium limosum KIST612 was found to provide a way for enhancing cell mass, the carbon monoxide (CO) consumption rate, and butyrate production using CO as an electron and energy source. Cell growth (146%), μ_max (121%), and CO consumption rates (151%) increased significantly upon the addition of 30mM acetate to microbial cultures. The main product of CO fermentation by E. limosum KIST612 shifted from acetate to butyrate in the presence of acetate, and 5.72mM butyrate was produced at the end of the reaction. The resting cell experimental conditions indicated acetate uptake and an increase in the butyrate concentration. Three routes to acetate assimilation and energy conservation were suggested based on given experimental results and previously genome sequencing data. Acetate assimilation via propionate CoA-transferase (PCT) was expected to produce 1.5mol ATP/mol butyrate, and was thus anticipated to be the most preferred route.

Determination of volumetric gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient of carbon monoxide in a batch cultivation system using kinetic simulations

A mathematical model of microbial kinetics was introduced to predict the overall volumetric gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient (k_La) of carbon monoxide (CO) in a batch cultivation system. The cell concentration (X), acetate concentration (C_ace), headspace gas (N_co and [Formula: see text] ), dissolved CO concentration in the fermentation medium (C_co), and mass transfer rate (R) were simulated using a variety of k_La values. The simulated results showed excellent agreement with the experimental data for a k_La of 13/hr. The C_co values decreased with increase in cultivation times, whereas the maximum mass transfer rate was achieved at the mid-log phase due to vigorous microbial CO consumption rate higher than R. The model suggested in this study may be applied to a variety of microbial systems involving gaseous substrates.

Intrinsic kinetic parameters of Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 strains and prediction of optimum carbon monoxide level for ideal bioreactor operation

This study determines and compares the intrinsic kinetic parameters (Ks and Ki) of selected Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 strains (wild-type (WT), and mutants MC01, MC02, and WTC156T) using the substrate inhibition model. Ks and Ki values were used to find the optimum dissolved CO (CL) conditions inside the reactor. The results showed that in terms of the maximum specific CO consumption rates (qCO(max)) of WT, MC01, MC02, and WTC156T the optimum activities can be achieved by maintaining the CL levels at 0.56mM, 0.52mM, 0.58mM, and 0.75mM, respectively. The qCO(max) value of WTC156T at 0.75mM was found to be 1.5-fold higher than for the WT strain, confirming its superiority. Kinetic modeling was then used to predict the conditions required to maintain the optimum CL levels and high cell concentrations in the reactor, based on the kinetic parameters of the WTC156T strain.

Microbial synthesis gas utilization and ways to resolve kinetic and mass-transfer limitations

Microbial conversion of syngas to energy-dense biofuels and valuable chemicals is a potential technology for the efficient utilization of fossils (e.g., coal) and renewable resources (e.g., lignocellulosic biomass) in an environmentally friendly manner. However, gas-liquid mass transfer and kinetic limitations are still major constraints that limit the widespread adoption and successful commercialization of the technology. This review paper provides rationales for syngas bioconversion and summarizes the reaction limited conditions along with the possible strategies to overcome these challenges. Mass transfer and economic performances of various reactor configurations are compared, and an ideal case for optimum bioreactor operation is presented. Overall, the challenges with the bioprocessing steps are highlighted, and potential solutions are suggested. Future research directions are provided and a conceptual design for a membrane-based syngas biorefinery is proposed.