TRYing to evaluate production costs in microbial biotechnology

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Industrial Microbiology
• Biochemical Engineering

Background:

• Microbial fermentations are a sustainable route for chemical production.
• Accurate technoeconomic evaluation is crucial for process viability.
• Titer, Rate, and Yield (TRY) are key metrics for assessing fermentation efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the impact of titer, rate, and yield (TRY) metrics on the technoeconomics of microbial fermentation.
• To provide a framework for evaluating and comparing different fermentation processes.
• To offer recommendations for standardized reporting of TRY metrics in scientific literature.

Main Methods:

• Technoeconomic analysis based on TRY metrics.
• Case studies involving the production of 1,3-propanediol (PDO), ethanol, and penicillin.
• Comparative evaluation of different microbial strains and fermentation strategies.

Main Results:

• TRY metrics significantly influence the overall production cost of fermentation-derived chemicals.
• Optimizing TRY individually can have complex effects on overall process economics.
• Variations in TRY significantly differentiate the economic feasibility of producing commodity versus fine chemicals.

Conclusions:

• Standardized reporting of TRY metrics is essential for accurate technoeconomic assessment and process comparison.
• A balanced optimization of titer, rate, and yield is critical for cost-effective microbial chemical production.
• The presented framework aids in selecting and developing efficient microbial fermentation processes for various chemical products.