Production of 1,3-propanediol and lactic acid from crude glycerol by a microbial consortium from intertidal sludge

• Published in: Biotechnology letters 2021-03, Vol.43 (3), p.711-717
• Main Authors: Jiang, Li-Li, Liu, Feng-Yi, Yang, Wei, Li, Chang-Li, Zhu, Bao-Wei, Zhu, Xiu-Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1,3-Propanediol; Applied Microbiology; Batch culture; Biochemistry; Biodiesel fuels; Biofuels; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Consortia; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Fermentation; Gene sequencing; Glycerol; Lactic acid; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Next-generation sequencing; Original Research Paper; rRNA 16S; Sludge; Sustainable development
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-03063-0

Objectives To select a microbial consortium from intertidal sludge and evaluate its ability to convert crude glycerol from biodisel to high value-added products such as 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) and lactic acid (LA). Results A microbial consortium named CJD-S was selected from intertidal sludge and exhibited excellent performance for the conversion of crude glycerol to 1,3-PDO and LA. The composition of CJD-S was determined to be 85.99% Enterobacteriaceae and 13.75% Enterococcaceae by 16S rRNA gene amplicon high-throughput sequencing. In fed-batch fermentation with crude glycerol under nonsterile conditions, the highest concentrations of 1,3-PDO and LA were 41.47 g/L and 45.86 g/L, respectively. Conclusions The selected microbial consortium, CJD-S, effectively converted crude glycerol to 1,3-PDO and LA under nonsterile conditions and can contribute to the sustainable development of the biodiesel industry.