Study of the solventogenic phase of Clostridium beijerinckii Br21 using xylose as a substrate

• Grant number: 16/05578-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Acordo de Cooperação: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Valeria Reginatto Spiller
• Grantee: Thalita Marques da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation, also called ABE fermentation represents one of the oldest recognized industrial fermentation processes. The ABE fermentation, which occurs during the solventogenic phase of Clostridium growth, generates predominantly acetone, butanol, and ethanol in a ratio of 3:6:1. Nowadays the interest in ABE fermentation is increasing because of the search for biofuel production from renewable sources, such as lignocellulosic biomass. The lignocellulosic biomass is composed of about 70% polysaccharide, which glucose and xylose are the mainly monomers. Clostridium acetobutilycum and Clostridium beijerinckii are notable hydrogen and solvents producers through carbohydrates fermentation. In addition these strains are able to ferment both pentose and hexose sugars, which are release from lignocellulosic materials after hydrolysis. The aim of this work is study the solventogenic phase of C. beijerinckii Br21, isolated in our lab, and compare with C. acetobutilycum ATCC 0824, using xylose as a substrate. The bacterial growth rate will be analyzed using different growth medium. The solvents production will be studied in fermentation batch assays using different xylose concentrations. Finally, a transcriptome analysis of C. beijerinckii Br21 will be performed using high-throughput RNA-Seq technology. C. beijerinckii Br21 was isolated in our lab, initially for biohydrogen production (FAPESP 2015/06074-1 "Third-generation biohydrogen production from algae biomass and its hydrolysis derivatives"). However, the genus Clostridium is also known as a good solvent producer. Therefore, this master's project will help to know the potential of C. beijerinckii Br21 in the production of other biofuels from a major monosaccharide constituent of lignocellulosic biomass, the xylose. In addition, the ABE fermentation by Clostridium will be explored in a new international collaboration thematic project (Joint FAPESP-BBSRC Call for Collaborative Proposals in Integrated Biorefinery Approaches for the Manufacture of Advanced Biofuels) submitted for financial support to FAPESP "Engineering Enzymes for Transformation of Lignocellulosic Biomass" (2015/50591-0). (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

BORTOLUCCI, JONATA; ZANI, ANA CLARA BONIZOL; DE GOUVEA, PAULA FAGUNDES; DINAMARCO, TAISA MAGNANI; REGINATTO, VALERIA. A non-solventogenic Clostridium beijerinckii strain lacking acetoacetate decarboxylase assimilates acetate and accumulates butyrate. BIOMASS & BIOENERGY, v. 172, p. 8-pg., 2023-03-31. (16/05578-9, 18/12471-1, 22/04024-0, 18/10296-8, 20/03168-3)