Continuous feeding strategy for polyhydroxyalkanoate production from solid waste animal fat at laboratory‐ and pilot‐scale

Bioconversion of waste animal fat (WAF) to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is an approach to lower the production costs of these plastic alternatives. However, the solid nature of WAF requires a tailor‐made process development. In this study, a double‐jacket feeding system was built to thermally liquef...

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Published in:Microbial biotechnology 2023-02, Vol.16 (2), p.295-306
Main Authors: Gutschmann, Björn, Maldonado Simões, Matilde, Schiewe, Thomas, Schröter, Edith S., Münzberg, Marvin, Neubauer, Peter, Bockisch, Anika, Riedel, Sebastian L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aeration
Animal fat
Animals
Batch processes
Bioconversion
Bioreactors
Carbon
Cultivation
Feeding
Fermentation
Flow cytometry
Iodides
Laboratories
Nitrogen
Photon density
Plastics
Polyhydroxyalkanoates
Polyhydroxyalkanoates - metabolism
Polyhydroxyalkanoic acid
Production costs
Propidium iodide
Soil bacteria
Solid Waste
Solid wastes
Spectroscopy
Spectrum analysis
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Summary:Bioconversion of waste animal fat (WAF) to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is an approach to lower the production costs of these plastic alternatives. However, the solid nature of WAF requires a tailor‐made process development. In this study, a double‐jacket feeding system was built to thermally liquefy the WAF to employ a continuous feeding strategy. During laboratory‐scale cultivations with Ralstonia eutropha Re2058/pCB113, 70% more PHA (45 gPHA L−1) and a 75% higher space–time yield (0.63 gPHA L−1 h−1) were achieved compared to previously reported fermentations with solid WAF. During the development process, growth and PHA formation were monitored in real‐time by in‐line photon density wave spectroscopy. The process robustness was further evaluated during scale‐down fermentations employing an oscillating aeration, which did not alter the PHA yield although cells encountered periods of oxygen limitation. Flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining showed that more than two‐thirds of the cells were viable at the end of the cultivation and viability was even little higher in the scale‐down cultivations. Application of this feeding system at 150‐L pilot‐scale cultivation yielded in 31.5 gPHA L−1, which is a promising result for the further scale‐up to industrial scale.
ISSN:1751-7915
1751-7915
DOI:10.1111/1751-7915.14104