Electrically enhanced ethanol fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Ethanol production by Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 35609 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 26603 was improved in an electrochemical bioreactor system. It was increased by 61% with Cl. thermocellum and 12% with S. cerevisiae in the presence of -1.5 V of electric potential. These increases were attributed to high production rates due to regeneration and availability of increased reduced equivalents in the presence of electric potential. The electric current caused considerable shift in the metabolite concentrations on a molar basis in Cl. thermocellum fermentation but less in S. cerevisiae fermentation. Increasing electric potential in Cl. thermocellum fermentation resulted in less acetate and more lactate production. Acetate production was also reduced with increased electric potential in S. cerevisiae fermentation. The high electric potential of -5 V adversely affected the Cl. thermocellum fermentation, but not the S. cerevisiae fermentation even at a high electric potential of -10 V.