System-Level Optimization to Improve Biofuel Potential via Genetic Engineering and Hydrothermal Liquefaction
Abstract
The economic success of biofuels and bioproducts depends on system-level optimization including biomass production and conversion. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) can convert wet biomass such as microalgae into a biofuel intermediate (BFI) under elevated temperatures and pressure. An understanding of the impacts of biomass composition on BFI yield and quality can inform genetic engineering strategies in the improvement of biochemical composition for biofuel production. In this work, wild type cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 biomass was doped with various common cellular storage compounds in lab-scale HTL experiments. Doping with glycogen or polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) significantly reduced BFI yields, while doping with triglycerides (TAG) or medium chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) increased BFI yield and quality. In light of these observations, a genetically engineered Synechocystis strain deficient in glycogen biosynthesis was cultivated to produce biomass for HTL, leading to a 17% increase in BFI yield. In addition, we built a multiphase component additivity (MCA) model that can predict BFI yield and quality with PHAs in the biomass. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to integrate strain development with downstream biomass conversion to maximize biofuel yield, with lessons applicable to microalgae as well as other biomass.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1601575
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5100-74835
Journal ID: ISSN 2168-0485
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 8; Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2168-0485
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 09 BIOMASS FUELS; microalgae; cyanobacteria; hydrothermal liquefaction; HTL; biofuel intermediate; BFI; genetic engineering; polyhydroxyalkanoate; ALPL
Citation Formats
Dong, Tao, Wang, Bo, Xiong, Wei, Sweeney, Nicholas A., Pienkos, Philip T., and Yu, Jianping. System-Level Optimization to Improve Biofuel Potential via Genetic Engineering and Hydrothermal Liquefaction. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06480.
Dong, Tao, Wang, Bo, Xiong, Wei, Sweeney, Nicholas A., Pienkos, Philip T., & Yu, Jianping. System-Level Optimization to Improve Biofuel Potential via Genetic Engineering and Hydrothermal Liquefaction. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06480
Dong, Tao, Wang, Bo, Xiong, Wei, Sweeney, Nicholas A., Pienkos, Philip T., and Yu, Jianping. Mon .
"System-Level Optimization to Improve Biofuel Potential via Genetic Engineering and Hydrothermal Liquefaction". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06480. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1601575.
@article{osti_1601575,
title = {System-Level Optimization to Improve Biofuel Potential via Genetic Engineering and Hydrothermal Liquefaction},
author = {Dong, Tao and Wang, Bo and Xiong, Wei and Sweeney, Nicholas A. and Pienkos, Philip T. and Yu, Jianping},
abstractNote = {The economic success of biofuels and bioproducts depends on system-level optimization including biomass production and conversion. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) can convert wet biomass such as microalgae into a biofuel intermediate (BFI) under elevated temperatures and pressure. An understanding of the impacts of biomass composition on BFI yield and quality can inform genetic engineering strategies in the improvement of biochemical composition for biofuel production. In this work, wild type cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 biomass was doped with various common cellular storage compounds in lab-scale HTL experiments. Doping with glycogen or polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) significantly reduced BFI yields, while doping with triglycerides (TAG) or medium chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) increased BFI yield and quality. In light of these observations, a genetically engineered Synechocystis strain deficient in glycogen biosynthesis was cultivated to produce biomass for HTL, leading to a 17% increase in BFI yield. In addition, we built a multiphase component additivity (MCA) model that can predict BFI yield and quality with PHAs in the biomass. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to integrate strain development with downstream biomass conversion to maximize biofuel yield, with lessons applicable to microalgae as well as other biomass.},
doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06480},
journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering},
number = 7,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 03 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Mon Feb 03 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}
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