Comparison of the Emulsion Characteristics of Rhodococcus erythropolis and Ecsherichia coli SOXC-5 Cells Expressing Biodesulfurization Genes

Biodesulfurization of fuel oils is a two‐phase (oil/water) process which may offer an interesting alternative to conventional hydrodesulfurization due to the mild operating conditions and reaction specificity afforded by the biocatalyst. For biodesulfurization to realize commercial success, a variet...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotechnology progress 2002, Vol.18 (1), p.88-93
Main Authors: Borole, Abhijeet P., Kaufman, Eric N., Grossman, Matthew J., Minak-Bernero, Vera, Bare, Richard, Lee, M. Kathryn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Biodesulfurization of fuel oils is a two‐phase (oil/water) process which may offer an interesting alternative to conventional hydrodesulfurization due to the mild operating conditions and reaction specificity afforded by the biocatalyst. For biodesulfurization to realize commercial success, a variety of process considerations must be addressed including reaction rate, emulsion formation and breakage, biocatalyst recovery, and both gas and liquid mass transport. This study evaluates emulsion formation and breakage using two biocatalysts with differing hydrophobic characteristics. A Gram‐positive ( Rhodococcus erythropolis) biocatalyst, expressing the complete 4S desulfurization pathway, and a Gram‐negative biocatalyst ( Escherichia coli), expressing only the gene for conversion of dibenzothiophene (DBT) to DBT sulfone, are compared relative to their ability to convert DBT and the ease of phase separation as well as biocatalyst recovery following desulfurization.
ISSN:8756-7938
1520-6033
DOI:10.1021/bp010134w