Development of a process to produce polyhydroxybutyrate from sugarcane bagasse derivatives using techniques of evolutionary engineering and bioprocess

• Grant number: 11/15405-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Luiziana Ferreira da Silva
• Grantee: Carlos Andres Fajardo Gomez
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Insertion of into the Brazilian energy matrix is a successful example of the establishment of sustainable technologies. The mills producing sugar and ethanol in Brazil have been indicated as the best locations for the establishment of biorefineries, because besides the aforementioned products, generate electricity by burning bagasse and open new possibilities for developments such as the production of second generation ethanol, using surplus bagasse, and also generate other products with higher added value, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). The hydrolysis of bagasse components necessary to enable the use of sugars by microorganisms releases glucose and pentoses, the latter still not suitable for the production of bioethanol, which can be made available to generate PHA, applicable as biodegradable and biocompatible polymers. A preliminary economic analysis of PHA production from xylose, based on a specific model biorefinery and considering a given bacterial metabolic network, indicated that productivity values around 1.1 g / Lh were sufficient to obtain a product at prices competitive in market, supporting the establishment of biorefinery plants. This work aims to contribute to the increase of productivity (currently at 0.28 g / Lh) addressing the following aspects: cultivate bacteria with labeled carbon, to confirm that the proposed metabolic network corresponds to what is observed experimentally; using evolutionary engineering techniques, select cells with maximum specific growth rates higher than the wildtype strain (strains of Burkholderia PHA +) when growing on sugarcane bagasse hydrolyzed or on xylose and, finally, develop strategies for batch cultivation in bioreactor to achieve high cell density. This project is directly related to the processes FAPESP 10/51989-4, coordinated by LF Silva ( a BIOEN project) and also to the project coordinated by Dr. Marilda Taciro (Proc. FAPESP 2010/51692-1).

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

GOMEZ, Carlos Andres Fajardo. Development of polyhydroxybutyrate production from xylose employing evolutionary engineering techniques and bioprocesses.. 2015. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI) São Paulo.