Multi-scale reactor designs extend the physical limits of fixation

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and Biorefining
• Metabolic Engineering
• Circular Carbon Economy

Background:

• Carbon valorization is key for climate adaptation and circular economies.
• Biomanufacturing offers a sustainable route for converting carbon dioxide into valuable products.
• Understanding metabolic pathway efficiency is crucial for optimizing bioprocesses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multi-scale, integrated systems approach for designing biomanufacturing systems utilizing carbon dioxide.
• To compare the carbon dioxide fixation capacities of the Wood-Ljungdahl and reductive glycine pathways.
• To identify strategies for expanding the design space and physical limits of carbon fixation in biomanufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a first-principles, systems-level approach coupling pathway and process variable optimization.
• Modeling single- and multi-compartment reactor systems for carbon dioxide fixation.
• Analyzing energy-dissipative and stoichiometric structures of carbon fixation pathways.

Main Results:

• The reductive glycine pathway demonstrates significantly higher carbon dioxide fixation rates compared to photosynthetic organisms.
• Small differences in pathway structures critically impact optimal biomanufacturing designs and feasible design spaces.
• The study quantifies these differences, revealing strategies to enhance carbon fixation efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The reductive glycine pathway presents a highly promising route for efficient carbon dioxide bioconversion.
• A systems-level approach is essential for optimizing biomanufacturing designs and overcoming current limitations.
• Insights gained can guide pathway selection and process configurations for advanced biomanufacturing applications.