Production of Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) Biopolymers from Syngas Using Rhodospirillum rubrum: Turning Waste into Treasure

摘要

Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHA) are bio-based and biodegradable alternatives to conventional polymers derived from fossil fuels. In this work we assessed a novel type of production process that relies on fermentations using syngas (CO, CO_2, H_2 and N_2) as main substrate and Rhodospirillum rubrum as CO-metabolizing and PHA-producing strain. Syngas can be obtained from the pyrolysis of organic wastes and thus represents an inexpensive, non-food-competitive carbon source. A cutting-edge process analytical technology platform including measurements of dissolved oxygen and redox potential, gas concentrations by mass spectrometry, as well as cell concentration and PHA content by flow cytometry was set up to monitor the bioprocess and cell physiology.