Microbial consortium-based conversion of CO2 to biochemicals

Industrial processes and power plants are a major contributor to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, that ultimately lead to global warming. CO2 capture is a way to make industrial processes free of such greenhouse gas emissions. One type of CO2 capture involves certain bacteria, acetogens, that can convert the CO2 into useful biochemicals. However, there are two challenges with this method: 1) the range of biochemicals that can be produced is limited due to the bacteria’s metabolic energy limitations, and 2) there is often oxygen present in industrial waste gases, which is toxic to the bacteria. This project focuses on testing if two specific types of bacteria (acetogens and aerobic bacteria), in a symbiotic partnership, can overcome these challenges, thereby making it an ideal solution for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. In the symbiotic partnership, the acetogen converts CO2 into acetate that the aerobic bacterium then converts into volatile biochemicals with higher commercial value, while removing O2 from the gases. If successful, the impact would be an environmentally and economically sustainable method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and at the same time produce higher value biochemicals.