Third-generation biohydrogen production from algae biomass and its hydrolysis derivatives

• Grant number: 15/06074-1
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2015
• End date: August 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Valeria Reginatto Spiller
• Grantee: Valeria Reginatto Spiller
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Fernando Masarin ; María Eugenia Guazzaroni

Abstract

The development of technologies to obtain renewable and cleaner energy is a global issue. Hydrogen is a clean fuel-its burning generates water only. A biological process, such as fermentation of carbohydrates from renewable raw materials, produces biohydrogen. Recently, researchers have turned their attention to the use of algal biomasses bearing high concentration of polysaccharides as raw materials for the so-called third-generation biohydrogen production. Algae have the ability to sequester large amounts of CO2 and to grow at high rates as compared with other types of biomass. In addition, algae are aquatic organisms, so they do not compete with food production. Furthermore, these organisms do not contain lignin, which facilitates their hydrolysis. In this project, the macroalga Kappaphycus alvarezii will constitute the source of biomass. This species consists of about 50-70% of carbohydrates, especially carrageenan and cellulose. The first stage of this project will deal with the isolation of H2-producing microorganisms from an anaerobic sludge and their identification by molecular techniques. The isolate should be able to produce H2 from glucose and galactose, the main monosaccharides derived from the hydrolysis of algae. Thereafter, the effect of fermentation inhibitors derived from alga hydrolysis; e.g., 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), levulinic acid, and formic acid, on H2 production by the isolated microorganism will be investigated. In a second stage, the alga biomass as whole and/or as the hydrolysate will be employed during fermentative H2 production. The hydrolysate will be obtained by using the optimum conditions established for alga hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid by means of experimental design; acid concentration, time, and temperature will be the tested variables. To sum up, this project will investigate the potential of K. alvarezzi biomass to act as substrate for third-generation biohydrogen production; it will also evaluate the effect of monosaccharides and inhibitors derived from algal biomass hydrolysis on fermentative H2 production. (AU)

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

EMELIN LEANDRO RODRIGUES; BRUNA CONSTANTE FONSECA; VALERIA CRESS GELLI; SIBELI CARLI; LUANA PARRAS MELEIRO; ROSA PRAZERES MELO FURRIEL; VALERIA REGINATTO. Enzymatically and/or thermally treated Macroalgae biomass as feedstock for fermentative H2 production. MATERIA-RIO DE JANEIRO, v. 24, n. 2, 2019-06-10. (15/06074-1)

GIRALDELI, LUCAS DINIZ; FONSECA, BRUNA CONSTANTE; REGINATTO, VALERIA. Mixtures of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid, and formic acid have different impact on H-2-producing Clostridium strains. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY, v. 43, n. 49, p. 22159-22169, DEC 6 2018. (15/06074-1)

FONSECA, BRUNA CONSTANTS; RIANO-PACHON, DIEGO MAURICIO; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA; REGINATTO, VALERIA. Genome sequence of the H-2-producing Clostridium beijerinckii strain Br21 isolated from a sugarcane vinasse treatment plant. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 42, n. 1, p. 139-144, JAN-MAR 2019. (15/04309-1, 15/06074-1)

FONSECA, BRUNA CONSTANTE; DALBELO, GIOVANNI; GELLI, VALERIA CRESS; CARLI, SIBELI; MELEIRO, LUANA PARRAS; ZIMBARDI, ANA LUCIA RIBEIRO LATORRE; FURRIEL, ROSA PRAZERES MELO; TAPIA, DELIA RITA; REGINATTO, VALERIA. Use of Algae Biomass Obtained by Single-Step Mild Acid Hydrolysis in Hydrogen Production by the beta-Glucosidase-Producing Clostridium beijerinckii Br21. WASTE AND BIOMASS VALORIZATION, v. 11, n. 4, p. 1393-1402, APR 2020. (15/06074-1)

FONSECA, BRUNA CONSTANTE; GUAZZARONI, MARIA-EUGENIA; REGINATTO, VALERIA. Fermentative production of H-2 from different concentrations of galactose by the new isolate Clostridium beijerinckii Br21. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY, v. 41, n. 46, p. 21109-21120, DEC 14 2016. (15/04309-1, 15/06074-1)

FONSECA, BRUNA CONSTANTE; SCHMIDELL, WILLIBALDO; REGINATTO, VALERIA. Impact of glucose concentration on productivity and yield of hydrogen production by the new isolate Clostridium beijerinckii Br21. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, v. 97, n. 5, p. 1092-1099, MAY 2019. (15/06074-1)

RODRIGUES, EMELIN LEANDRO; FONSECA, BRUNA CONSTANTE; GELLI, VALERIA CRESS; CARLI, SIBELI; MELEIRO, LUANA PARRAS; MELO FURRIEL, ROSA PRAZERES; REGINATTO, VALERIA. Enzymatically and/or thermally treated Macroalgae biomass as feedstock for fermentative H-2 production. MATERIA-RIO DE JANEIRO, v. 24, n. 2, 2019. (15/06074-1)

GIRALDELI, LUCAS DINIZ; FONSECA, BRUNA CONSTANTE; REGINATTO, VALERIA. Investigating how biomass hydrolysis derivatives inhibit H-2 production by an isolated Clostridium beijerinckii. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY, v. 44, n. 29, p. 14683-14693, JUN 7 2019. (18/00789-7, 15/06074-1)