Scaling up bioethanol production from the farmed brown macroalga Macrocystis pyrifera in Chile
Author
dc.contributor.author
Camus, Carolina
Author
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Ballerino, Paola
Author
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Delgado, Rocío
Author
dc.contributor.author
Olivera Nappa, Álvaro
Author
dc.contributor.author
Leyton, Carmen
Author
dc.contributor.author
Buschmann, Alejandro H.
Admission date
dc.date.accessioned
2017-11-21T15:07:10Z
Available date
dc.date.available
2017-11-21T15:07:10Z
Publication date
dc.date.issued
2016
Cita de ítem
dc.identifier.citation
Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref. 10:673–685 (2016)
es_ES
Identifier
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10.1002/bbb.1708
Identifier
dc.identifier.uri
https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/145701
Abstract
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Interest in third-generation biomass such as macroalgae has increased due to their high biomass yield, absence of lignin in their tissues, lower competition for land and fresh water, no fertilization requirements, and efficient CO2 capture in coastal ecosystems. However, several challenges still exist in the development of cost-effective technologies for processing large amounts of macroalgae. Recently, genetically modified micro-organisms able to convert brown macroalgae carbohydrates into bioethanol were developed, but still no attempt to scale up production has been proposed. Based on a giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) farming and bioethanol production program carried out in Chile, we were able to test and adapt this technology as a first attempt to scale up this process using a 75 L fermentation of genetically modified Escherichia coli. Laboratory fermentation tests results showed that although biomass growth and yield are not greatly affected by the alginate:mannitol ratio, ethanol yield showed a clear maximum around a 5:8 alginate:mannitol ratio. In M. pyrifera, a much greater proportion of alginate and lower mannitol abundance is found. In order to make the most of the carbohydrates available for fermentation, we developed a four-stage process model for scaling up, including acid leaching, depolymerization, saccharification, and fermentation steps. Using this process, we obtained 0.213 Kg ethanol Kg(-1) dry macroalgae, equivalent to 9.6 m(3) of ethanol hectare(-1) year(-1), reaching 64% of the maximum theoretical ethanol yield. We propose strategies to increase this yield, including synthetic biology pathway engineering approaches and process optimization targets.
es_ES
Patrocinador
dc.description.sponsorship
Consorcio BalBiofuels
09CTEI-6866
Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering - CeBiB (Conicyt Grant)
FB-0001
FONDECYT
1080144
1150978