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Title: A carbon conserving pathway for the microbial production of fatty acids from glycerol-rich waste streams

Abstract

Short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids have a cumulative market value of ~$1.8 billion/yr, where their application in numerous industries such as cosmetics, materials, and pharmaceuticals has contributed to an annual growth rate 11%. Furthermore, fatty acids can be converted to other industrial chemicals (e.g., alkenes and n-alcohols) that are typically made from petrochemical feedstocks. Microbial processes are a sustainable and renewable alternative to using petroleum-based chemocatalytic processes for making chemicals. Yet, most biosynthetic pathways for converting bio-based feedstocks to industrial chemicals are inefficient as they waste ~33% of the feedstock carbon as CO2. This loss limits theoretical yields to <67% and is a major reason why many endeavors are not profitable – and thus, cost competitive with the petrol-based state of the art – when using microbes to produce industrial chemicals. At ZymoChem, we are developing our patent-pending carbon conservation (C2) platform technology that relies on non-natural biosynthetic pathways, which we designed to give microbes the ability to build several types of fatty chemicals from various sources of renewable carbon without losing the feedstock carbon as CO2. The C2 aspect to our fatty molecules pathway lends to significantly improved theoretical yields, resulting in an opportunity to biologically make fatty acidsmore » in a cost-competitive manner, even compared to the incumbent commercially operated processes. Commercialization of our C2 platform technology for the microbial production of medium-chain fatty acids from the glycerol-rich waste streams will have several broad-reaching benefits. New value-added uses for low-value carbon-rich streams will be created. Existing biorefineries such as bio-diesel production plants will also benefit as our C2 bioprocesses will provide existing refineries with new revenue sources while affording them operational flexibility. Furthermore, commercial operation of our C2 bioprocesses will help decrease dependence on petroleum and create jobs in the renewable energy/chemicals sector.« less

Authors:
 [1]
  1. ZymoChem, Inc., Emeryville, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
ZymoChem, Inc., Emeryville, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1471285
Report Number(s):
DOE-ZymoChem-15243
DOE Contract Number:  
SC0015243
Type / Phase:
SBIR (Phase I)
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; carbon conservation; fatty acids

Citation Formats

Chokhawala, Harshal. A carbon conserving pathway for the microbial production of fatty acids from glycerol-rich waste streams. United States: N. p., 2018. Web.
Chokhawala, Harshal. A carbon conserving pathway for the microbial production of fatty acids from glycerol-rich waste streams. United States.
Chokhawala, Harshal. 2018. "A carbon conserving pathway for the microbial production of fatty acids from glycerol-rich waste streams". United States.
@article{osti_1471285,
title = {A carbon conserving pathway for the microbial production of fatty acids from glycerol-rich waste streams},
author = {Chokhawala, Harshal},
abstractNote = {Short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids have a cumulative market value of ~$1.8 billion/yr, where their application in numerous industries such as cosmetics, materials, and pharmaceuticals has contributed to an annual growth rate 11%. Furthermore, fatty acids can be converted to other industrial chemicals (e.g., alkenes and n-alcohols) that are typically made from petrochemical feedstocks. Microbial processes are a sustainable and renewable alternative to using petroleum-based chemocatalytic processes for making chemicals. Yet, most biosynthetic pathways for converting bio-based feedstocks to industrial chemicals are inefficient as they waste ~33% of the feedstock carbon as CO2. This loss limits theoretical yields to <67% and is a major reason why many endeavors are not profitable – and thus, cost competitive with the petrol-based state of the art – when using microbes to produce industrial chemicals. At ZymoChem, we are developing our patent-pending carbon conservation (C2) platform technology that relies on non-natural biosynthetic pathways, which we designed to give microbes the ability to build several types of fatty chemicals from various sources of renewable carbon without losing the feedstock carbon as CO2. The C2 aspect to our fatty molecules pathway lends to significantly improved theoretical yields, resulting in an opportunity to biologically make fatty acids in a cost-competitive manner, even compared to the incumbent commercially operated processes. Commercialization of our C2 platform technology for the microbial production of medium-chain fatty acids from the glycerol-rich waste streams will have several broad-reaching benefits. New value-added uses for low-value carbon-rich streams will be created. Existing biorefineries such as bio-diesel production plants will also benefit as our C2 bioprocesses will provide existing refineries with new revenue sources while affording them operational flexibility. Furthermore, commercial operation of our C2 bioprocesses will help decrease dependence on petroleum and create jobs in the renewable energy/chemicals sector.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1471285}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Sun Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

Technical Report:
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