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The Separative Bioreactor: A Continuous Separation Process for the Simultaneous Production and Direct Capture of
M B Arora1, J A Hestekin, S W Snyder
1Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL ; Chemical Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL.
Separation Science and Technology
|June 1, 2013
Summary
A novel separative bioreactor overcomes key challenges in biobased organic acid production. This technology enhances reaction rates and achieves high recovery of free organic acids, paving the way for efficient bioprocessing.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology and Bioprocessing
- Chemical Engineering
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Biocatalysis offers a sustainable alternative to petrochemical processing for producing biobased chemicals.
- Organic acid production via biocatalysis is hindered by product inhibition and salt formation, necessitating complex recovery steps.
- Existing methods require neutralization, leading to salt byproducts and additional processing for free acid recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an efficient one-step system for biobased organic acid production and recovery.
- To overcome product inhibition and avoid salt formation in biocatalytic organic acid synthesis.
- To enhance reaction rates and product recovery in bioprocesses.
Main Methods:
- Development of a "separative bioreactor" utilizing resin wafer electrodeionization.
- Immobilization and *in situ* regeneration of the enzyme glucose fructose oxidoreductase (GFOR).
- Fermentation using *E. coli* strain CSM1 for lactic acid production.
Main Results:
- The separative bioreactor achieved continuous gluconic acid production for 7 days with rates up to 1000 mg/L/hr and >99% recovery.
- Enzyme reactivity remained high (>30 mg gluconic acid/mg GFOR/hour) with *in situ* regeneration.
- Lactic acid was produced for 24 hours with productivity >200 mg/L/hr and nearly 100% recovery.
Conclusions:
- The separative bioreactor effectively addresses product inhibition and facilitates direct recovery of free organic acids.
- This technology enables efficient, one-step production and recovery of biobased organic acids.
- The system demonstrates significant potential for large-scale industrial application of biocatalytic organic acid synthesis.
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