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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Data for Optimizing Chemical-Free Pretreatment for Maximizing Oil/Lipid Recovery from Transgenic Bioenergy Crops and its Rapid Analysis Using Time Domain-NMR

Transgenic bioenergy crops have shown the potential to produce vegetative oil by accumulating energy-rich triacylglyceride molecules that can be converted into biofuels (biodiesel and biojet). These transgenic crops cater to improved biofuel yield by providing lipids along with cellulosic sugars. Efficient bioprocessing technologies are needed to utilize these transgenic plants to their maximum potential. To this end, this study investigates a low- and high-severity chemical-free hydrothermal pretreatment of transgenic oilcane 1566 bagasse with in situ lipids to maximize the recovery of lipids for biodiesel and fermentable sugars for ethanol with minimal inhibitor generation. Hydrothermal pretreatment at 170°C recovered ∼25% of total lipids in the pretreatment liquor, leaving the remainder in bagasse residue for hexane recovery post fermentation. The recovery of lipids in pretreatment liquor remained constant beyond 170°C. Along with lipids, ∼35% w/w and ∼50% w/w fermentable sugars were recovered post saccharification from bagasse pretreated at 170°C and 210°C for 20 min, respectively. Hydrothermal pretreatment at 170°C for 20 min provided the optimum conditions for maximum recovery of lipids and cellulosic sugars that resulted in enhanced biofuel yield per unit biomass. High severity pretreatment increased the generation of inhibitors beyond the tolerance of fermentation microorganisms. In addition, the application of time-domain proton NMR spectroscopy was extended to bioprocessing. NMR technology facilitated the analysis of total lipids, the composition of fatty acids, and the characterization of free and bound lipids in untreated and pretreated oilcane 1566 bagasse subsequent to each step of biomass to biofuel conversion.

Conversion↗
DOE OSTI2025

An argument for using anaerobes as microbial cell factories to advance synthetic biology and biomanufacturing

Anaerobes thrive in the absence of oxygen and are an untapped reservoir of biotechnological potential. Therefore, bioprospecting efforts focused on anaerobic microbial diversity could rapidly uncover new enzymes, pathways, and chassis organisms to drive biotechnology innovation. Despite their potential utility, anaerobic fermenters are viewed as inefficient from a biochemical perspective because their metabolisms produce fewer ATP (~2) per molecule of glucose processed than heterotrophic respirers (~32–38 ATP). While aerobes excel at ATP generation, they are often less efficient than anaerobes at processes that compete with ATP generation for cellular resources. This perspective highlights how anaerobic adaptations are advantageous for synthetic biology and biomanufacturing applications through the engineering of microbial cell factories. We further highlight emerging applications of anaerobic bioprocessing, including the use of anaerobic metabolisms for lignocellulosic bioprocessing, human and environmental health, and value-added bioproduction.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Model acetylcholinesterase‐Fc fusion glycoprotein biotechnology system for the manufacture of an organophosphorus toxicant bioscavenging countermeasure

Abstract Organophosphate (OP) toxicants remain an active threat to public health and to warfighters in the military. Current countermeasures require near immediate administration following OP exposure and are reported to have controversial efficacies. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) fused to the human immunoglobulin 1 (IgG1) Fc domain (AChE‐Fc) is a potential bioscavenger for OP toxicants, but a reproducible AChE‐Fc biomanufacturing strategy remains elusive. This report is the first to establish a comprehensive laboratory‐scale bioprocessing strategy that can reproducibly produce AChE‐Fc and AChE(W86A)‐Fc which is a mutated AChE protein with reduced enzymatic activity. Characterization studies revealed that AChE‐Fc and AChE(W86A)‐Fc are N ‐glycosylated dimeric fusion glycoproteins but only AChE‐Fc had the capability to bind to paraoxon (a model OP). This AChE‐Fc fusion glycoprotein bioprocessing strategy can be leveraged during industrial biomanufacturing development, while the research‐grade AChE‐Fc proteins can be used to determine the potential clinical relevance of the countermeasure against OP toxicants.

Biel, Thomas G.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Risk Assessment of Industrial Microbes Using a Terrestrial Mesocosm Platform

Abstract Industrial microbes and bio-derived products have emerged as an integral component of the bioeconomy, with an array of agricultural, bioenergy, and biomedical applications. However, the rapid development of microbial biotechnology raises concerns related to environmental escape of laboratory microbes, detection and tracking thereof, and resultant impact upon native ecosystems. Indeed, though wild-type and genetically modified microbes are actively deployed in industrial bioprocesses, an understanding of microbial interactivity and impact upon the environment is severely lacking. In particular, the persistence and sustained ecosystem impact of industrial microbes following laboratory release or unintentional laboratory escape remains largely unexplored. Herein, we investigate the applicability of soil-sorghum mesocosms for the ecological risk assessment of the industrial microbe, Saccharomyces cerevisiae . We developed and applied a suite of diagnostic and bioinformatic analyses, including digital droplet PCR, microscopy, and phylogenomic analyses to assess the impacts of a terrestrial ecosystem perturbation event over a 30-day time course. The platform enables reproducible, high-sensitivity tracking of S. cerevisiae in a complex soil microbiome and analysis of the impact upon abiotic soil characteristics and soil microbiome population dynamics and diversity. The resultant data indicate that even though S. cerevisiae is relatively short-lived in the soil, a single perturbation event can have sustained impact upon mesocosm soil composition and underlying microbial populations in our system, underscoring the necessity for more comprehensive risk assessment and development of mitigation and biocontainment strategies in industrial bioprocesses.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Partners for life: building microbial consortia for the future

We report new technologies have allowed researchers to better design, build, and analyze complex consortia. These developments are fueling a wider implementation of consortium-based bioprocessing by leveraging synthetic biology, delivering on the field’s multitudinous promises of higher efficiencies, superior resiliency, augmented capabilities, and modular bioprocessing. Here we chronicle current progress by presenting a range of screening, computational, and biomolecular tools enabling robust population control, efficient division of labor, and programmatic spatial organization; furthermore, we detail corresponding advancements in areas including machine learning, biocontainment, and standardization. Additionally, we show applications in myriad sectors, including medicine, energy and waste sustainability, chemical production, agriculture, and biosensors. Concluding remarks outline areas of growth that will promote the utilization of complex community structures across the biotechnology spectrum.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving dairy manure hydrolysis and acidification through microbial community restructuring by adaptation to hyperthermophilic conditions

Dairy manure (DM) contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem degradation, yet its resistance to biodegradation hinders widespread bioprocessing applications. Lignocellulosic materials in DM pose a particular challenge because of their recalcitrance. Bioprocessing under hyperthermophilic (≥70 °C) conditions potentially offers an advantage over traditional fermentation temperatures due to enhanced activity of enzymes and the kinetics of enzymatic reactions. This can lead to a higher conversion rate and a greater extent of biomass hydrolysis and acidification. To test the validity of this hypothesis, the current study evaluated the efficacy of anaerobic hydrolysis and acidogenic fermentation of DM under mesophilic, thermophilic, and hyperthermophilic conditions. All inocula were adapted to corresponding temperatures but were derived from the same mesophilic source. Hyperthermophilic conditions resulted in superior DM hydrolysis efficiency (53%) compared to mesophilic (34%) and thermophilic (42%) conditions. The hyperthermophilic environment was particularly favorable to the decomposition of crude proteins and hemicellulose, which were reduced by 64% and 54%, respectively. Furthermore, hyperthermophilic fermentation also yielded the highest volatile fatty acid (VFA) production rate of 460 mg/L/day during the first four days, representing improvements of 50% and 90% over mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. In part, this was attributed to the enhanced production of branched-chain VFAs, including an increase of 6–10% in isobutyric acid and 12–13% in isovaleric acid. At hyperthermophilic conditions, however, there was no accumulation of VFAs during the days 5–8 of fermentation, which could be due to acetate conversion by the syntrophic acetate-oxidizing bacteria. A considerable gain in hydrolysis efficiency and VFA production rate were accompanied by a reduction in microbial diversity, which suggests that hyperthermophilic temperature is a favorable environment for the selection of organisms with enhanced DM hydrolysis and fermentation capabilities. A significantly increased relative abundance of xylanolytic Caldicoprobacter (23% of population) and proteolytic Thermovirga (9% of population) could be the major contributors to improved decomposition of hemicellulose and protein. As revealed by the techno-economic analysis, acidogenic fermentation of DM at 70 °C and a retention period of 4 days provides the greatest positive net present value, highest internal rate of return of 9.2%, and shortest investment payback period of 9 years. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that hyperthermophilic conditions enable superior deconstruction and bioconversion of lignocellulose-containing biomass into VFAs under reduced retention times, offering a promising approach for improving DM management and generating bioproducts.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Two-stage dynamic deregulation of metabolism improves process robustness & scalability in engineered E. coli.

Here, we report that two-stage dynamic control improves bioprocess robustness as a result of the dynamic deregulation of central metabolism. Dynamic control is implemented during stationary phase using combinations of CRISPR interference and controlled proteolysis to reduce levels of central metabolic enzymes. Reducing the levels of key enzymes alters metabolite pools resulting in deregulation of the metabolic network. Deregulated networks are less sensitive to environmental conditions improving process robustness. Process robustness in turn leads to predictable scalability, minimizing the need for traditional process optimization. We validate process robustness and scalability of strains and bioprocesses synthesizing the important industrial chemicals alanine, citramalate and xylitol. Predictive high throughput approaches that translate to larger scales are critical for metabolic engineering programs to truly take advantage of the rapidly increasing throughput and decreasing costs of synthetic biology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids from One-Carbon Feedstocks

Bioproduction from one-carbon compounds, such as formate, is an attractive prospect due to reduced energy requirements and the possibility for using CO 2 as a sustainable feedstock. Formate-fixing pathways engineered using Escherichia coli lysate-based cell-free expression (CFE) biocatalysts have the potential to route 100% of feedstock carbon toward chemical synthesis but are undermined by siphoning of in-pathway metabolites and cofactors by the CFE background metabolism. To address this limitation, we engineer a CFE-based thermophilic multienzyme biocatalyst for the synthesis of serine and glycine from formate, bicarbonate, and ammonia. After expression of the thermophilic formate-to-serine pathway in a one-pot reaction, the mesophilic E. coli CFE background machinery is removed by simple heat denaturation, eliminating the siphoning of cofactors, inpathway metabolites, and products. After bioprocess optimization, including pathway gene expression duration and chemical synthesis temperature, we achieve near stoichiometric conversion of formate and bicarbonate to serine and glycine, reaching 97% of stoichiometric yield. The use of a moderately thermophilic biocatalyst allowed chemical synthesis to take place at mesophilic temperatures, enabling the balance of optimal enzyme activity with minimal metabolite/cofactor thermal degradation. In a fed-batch experiment, the biocatalyst shows sustained chemical synthesis rates for 8 h, paving the way toward a continuous bioprocess. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of cofactor usage revealed that the most expensive cofactors, THF and NADPH, can be reduced by 5-fold without significantly lowering product yields. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first instance of expressing a thermophilic pathway in an E. coli lysate-based CFE system to generate a thermophilic biocatalyst for use at mesophilic temperatures. The CFEbased thermophilic formate-to-serine biocatalyst triples the combined serine and glycine yield previously obtained by a CFE-based mesophilic formate-to-serine biocatalyst (30%), and quadruple the yield obtained by a purified enzyme system (22%). Ultimately, this work opens the door to using E. coli lysate-based CFE for thermophilic biocatalyst generation to achieve high chemical synthesis yields.

bacteria↗
DOE OSTI2021

Renewable fatty acid ester production in Clostridium

Abstract Bioproduction of renewable chemicals is considered as an urgent solution for fossil energy crisis. However, despite tremendous efforts, it is still challenging to generate microbial strains that can produce target biochemical to high levels. Here, we report an example of biosynthesis of high-value and easy-recoverable derivatives built upon natural microbial pathways, leading to improvement in bioproduction efficiency. By leveraging pathways in solventogenic clostridia for co-producing acyl-CoAs, acids and alcohols as precursors, through rational screening for host strains and enzymes, systematic metabolic engineering-including elimination of putative prophages, we develop strains that can produce 20.3 g/L butyl acetate and 1.6 g/L butyl butyrate. Techno-economic analysis results suggest the economic competitiveness of our developed bioprocess. Our principles of selecting the most appropriate host for specific bioproduction and engineering microbial chassis to produce high-value and easy-separable end products may be applicable to other bioprocesses.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Compositional and temporal division of labor modulates mixed sugar fermentation by an engineered yeast consortium

Abstract Synthetic microbial communities have emerged as an attractive route for chemical bioprocessing. They are argued to be superior to single strains through microbial division of labor (DOL), but the exact mechanism by which DOL confers advantages remains unclear. Here, we utilize a synthetic Saccharomyces cerevisiae consortium along with mathematical modeling to achieve tunable mixed sugar fermentation to overcome the limitations of single-strain fermentation. The consortium involves two strains with each specializing in glucose or xylose utilization for ethanol production. By controlling initial community composition, DOL allows fine tuning of fermentation dynamics and product generation. By altering inoculation delay, DOL provides additional programmability to parallelly regulate fermentation characteristics and product yield. Mathematical models capture observed experimental findings and further offer guidance for subsequent fermentation optimization. This study demonstrates the functional potential of DOL in bioprocessing and provides insight into the rational design of engineered ecosystems for various applications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deletion of biofilm synthesis in Eubacterium limosum ATCC 8486 improves handling and transformation efficiency

Abstract Eubacterium limosum is an acetogenic bacterium of potential industrial relevance for its ability to efficiently metabolize a range of single carbon compounds. However, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) produced by the type strain ATCC 8486 is a serious impediment to bioprocessing and genetic engineering. To remove these barriers, here we bioinformatically identified genes involved in EPS biosynthesis, and targeted several of the most promising candidates for inactivation, using a homologous recombination-based approach. Deletion of a single genomic region encoding homologues for epsABC, ptkA, and tmkA resulted in a strain incapable of producing EPS. This strain is significantly easier to handle by pipetting and centrifugation, and retains important wild-type phenotypes including the ability to grow on methanol and carbon dioxide and limited oxygen tolerance. Additionally, this strain is also more genetically tractable with a 2-fold increase in transformation efficiency compared to the highest previous reports. This work advances a simple, rapid protocol for gene knockouts in E. limosum using only the native homologous recombination machinery. These results will hasten the development of this organism as a workhorse for valorization of single carbon substrates, as well as facilitate exploration of its role in the human gut microbiota.

Sanford, Patrick A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Gene targets for engineering osmotolerance in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii

Abstract Background Caldicellulosiruptor bescii , a promising biocatalyst being developed for use in consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulosic materials to ethanol, grows poorly and has reduced conversion at elevated medium osmolarities. Increasing tolerance to elevated fermentation osmolarities is desired to enable performance necessary of a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) biocatalyst. Results Two strains of C. bescii showing growth phenotypes in elevated osmolarity conditions were identified. The first strain, ORCB001, carried a deletion of the FapR fatty acid biosynthesis and malonyl-CoA metabolism repressor and had a severe growth defect when grown in high-osmolarity conditions—introduced as the addition of either ethanol, NaCl, glycerol, or glucose to growth media. The second strain, ORCB002, displayed a growth rate over three times higher than its genetic parent when grown in high-osmolarity medium. Unexpectedly, a genetic complement ORCB002 exhibited improved growth, failing to revert the observed phenotype, and suggesting that mutations other than the deleted transcription factor (the fruR/cra gene) are responsible for the growth phenotype observed in ORCB002. Genome resequencing identified several other genomic alterations (three deleted regions, three substitution mutations, one silent mutation, and one frameshift mutation), which may be responsible for the observed increase in osmolarity tolerance in the fruR / cra -deficient strain, including a substitution mutation in dnaK , a gene previously implicated in osmoresistance in bacteria. Differential expression analysis and transcription factor binding site inference indicates that FapR negatively regulates malonyl-CoA and fatty acid biosynthesis, as it does in many other bacteria. FruR/Cra regulates neighboring fructose metabolism genes, as well as other genes in global manner. Conclusions Two systems able to effect tolerance to elevated osmolarities in C. bescii are identified. The first is fatty acid biosynthesis. The other is likely the result of one or more unintended, secondary mutations present in another transcription factor deletion strain. Though the locus/loci and mechanism(s) responsible remain unknown, candidate mutations are identified, including a mutation in the dnaK chaperone coding sequence. These results illustrate both the promise of targeted regulatory manipulation for osmotolerance (in the case of fapR ) and the challenges (in the case of fruR/cra ).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Brazilian CBP - Technoeconomic analysis data

This data is related to the paper entitled "Techno-economic analysis of sugarcane bagasse and straw conversion into cellulosic ethanol via consolidated bioprocessing". That features the evaluation of sugarcane bagasse and straw conversion to ethanol at stand-alone facilities generating electricity from residues. The following scenarios were evaluated: Conventional, featuring hydrothermal pretreatment, fungal cellulase, and yeast fermentation (current commercial standard); Mid-term consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), relying on bagasse solubilization without pretreatment or cotreatment; and Mature CBP, incorporating cotreatment but no pretreatment and considering significant technological advance of the CBP. Available here are the spreadsheets used for Material and Energy balance calculation, Capital and Operational costs estimation and Cash flow analysis. Also available are the description and python code used for Monte Carlo analysis of the ethanol and capital investment variations. This data can be used as a source to implement other techno-economic analysis in the biorefinary context.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Green Factor

Los Alamos is designing a screening platform coupled to our biosensor to customize production processes in cell-free environments that offer biomanufacturers higher titers and yields, better resource utilization and cost-effective bioprocess. Our technology aims at enabling cell-free biosynthetic systems by providing enzyme variants generated by coupling with our biosensor technology, that can utilize cheap raw material cofactor analogues. This will enable bioprocesses based on cell free synthetic biology for a sustainable bioeconomy.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

CO 2 and Renewable Electricity into Chemicals: Formic Acid Production from Coal Flue Gas

Formic acid (FA) is an industrial chemical. It is used as a preservative for silage, as a digestive aid for animals, as a fluid for fracking, as a pharmaceutical intermediate and in leather tanning. The global formic acid market is valued at 777.4 million USD in 2020 and is expected to reach 851.8 million USD by the end of 2026. A new major formic acid application is the use of formic acid as a key feedstock for the bioprocessing industry. It has the potential to grow tremendously if we can lower the cost of formic acid production compared with the current fossil-fuel one. Recently, Dioxide Materials has developed a technology that can directly convert CO 2 to pure formic acid with a three-compartment CO 2 electrolyzer. However, the electrolyzer performance needs further improvement for the technology to be commercially viable. The major objective of this project is to develop the electrolyzer technology to enable formic acid as a feedstock for the bioprocessing industry to be economically manufactured from flue gas from a coal fired pilot plant. In particular, the project is to understand how to run the electrolyzer for the conversion of CO 2 into formic acid using flue gas from a coal fired power plant as a source of CO 2 . The work will include characterizing how the performance of the electrolyzer changes with low CO 2 concentration and impurities, developing new cell designs that can still operate with feedstocks with low CO 2 concentrations, testing simulated flue gas in the electrolyzer system and developing filters to remove any impurities that arise.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Bioenergy Research: Opportunities and Challenges

The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) with automated experimentation, genomics, biosystems design, and bioprocessing technologies is poised to revolutionize scientific investigation and, particularly, bioenergy research. To identify the opportunities and challenges in this emerging research area, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research program (BER) and Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) held a joint virtual workshop on AI/ML for Bioenergy Research (AMBER) on August 23–25, 2022. These interests have since been amplified in a September 2022 Executive Order, “Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure U.S. Bioeconomy,” to promote a whole-of government approach to biotechnology development (White House 2022). Approximately 50 scientists with various backgrounds and expertise from academia, industry, and DOE national laboratories met to discuss the opportunities and challenges of AI/ML for bioenergy research. Workshop participants were tasked with assessing the potential for AI/ML and laboratory automation to advance biological understanding and engineering in general. They particularly examined how integrating AI/ML tools with laboratory automation could accelerate biosystems design and optimize biomanufacturing. Discussions included the data and computational infrastructure needed to augment biosystems design applications and the expertise and workforce development efforts urgently required to shift integrated systems toward bioenergy research more broadly. Participants discussed many existing and future applications of AI/ML for biosystems design ranging from enzymes to plants and microbes, microbiomes, and bioprocess development. They also identified three key categories of scientific and technical opportunities and challenges: high-quality data, AI/ML algorithms, and laboratory automation. Several main takeaways emerged from the workshop: 1. Numerous AI/ML and automated experimentation applications exist for a variety of DOE mission needs in energy and the environment; 2. Exemplary research grand challenges for which AI/ML could provide solutions include: building microbes and microbial communities to specifications, developing closed-loop autonomous design and control for biosystems design, and advancing scale-up and automation; 3. Lack of sufficient high-quality, annotated data hinders the development of AI/ML applications; 4. New and improved AI/ML tools are needed, particularly those meeting the specific needs of the BER and BETO research communities; 5. Trade-offs in performance, cost, and reliability exist between deploying commercially available versus building custom-developed instrumentation and software for automated or autonomous experimentation; translation of manual to automated or autonomous methods is often a nontrivial endeavor; 6. Training a new generation of young scientists who can develop and apply AI/ML tools is needed to solve long-standing scientific challenges in bioenergy research. The integration of AI/ML tools and automated experimentation represents a new data-driven research paradigm complementary to the traditional hypothesis-driven research paradigm. This paradigm accelerates design and optimization of biological systems and processes for a variety of DOE mission needs in energy and the environment. The AMBER workshop broadly explored the potential of this new paradigm for bioenergy research, of particular interest to BER and BETO, and identified key challenges and opportunities that DOE can address in the coming years by leveraging its unique capabilities and resources.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Final Technical Report for DE-SC0022206

This project developed foundational genetic, genomic, and epigenetic tools for anaerobic fungi (Neocallimastigomycota), a group of microorganisms with exceptional natural abilities to deconstruct lignocellulosic biomass. Efficient biomass deconstruction remains a major barrier to economical production of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials from agricultural and forestry residues. The project sought to enable mechanistic studies and future engineering of anaerobic fungi by improving genomic resources, establishing methods for gene expression, and investigating epigenetic regulation of biomass-degrading pathways. Major accomplishments included generation of the first chromosome-scale genome assemblies for multiple anaerobic fungal species, providing publicly available genomic resources that support both engineering and fundamental biological research. The project established the first reproducible system for heterologous gene expression in anaerobic fungi and identified genomic features and mobile genetic elements that may support future development of stable transformation technologies. In parallel, the project demonstrated direct conversion of untreated lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and specialty chemicals through a fungal-yeast bioprocess and identified anaerobic fungal enzymes with utility for metabolic engineering. The research also revealed that epigenetic regulation plays an important role in controlling fungal gene expression and enzyme production, identifying potential strategies for enhancing biomass degradation. Collectively, this work established anaerobic fungi as a tractable emerging platform for bioenergy and biomanufacturing research, generated valuable public resources, trained the next generation of researchers, and advanced DOE-BER goals related to predictive biology, sustainable bioprocessing, and the circular bioeconomy.

Solomon, Kevin [University of Delaware] (ORCID:000↗
NASA NTRS1986

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies Program). Biocatalysis Project

Presented are the FY 1985 accomplishments, activities, and planned research efforts of the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Program. The Project's technical activities were organized as follows: In the Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element, research focused on (1) modeling and simulation studies to establish the physiological basis of high temperature tolerance in a selected enzyme and the catalytic mechanisms of three species of another enzyme, and (2) determining the degree of plasmid amplification and stability of several DNA bacterial strains. In the Bioprocess Engineering work element, research focused on (1) studies of plasmid propagation and the generation of models, (2) developing methods for preparing immobilized biocatalyst beads, and (3) developing an enzyme encapsulation method. In the Process Design and Analysis work element, research focused on (1) further refinement of a test case simulation of the economics and energy efficiency of alternative biocatalyzed production processes, (2) developing a candidate bioprocess to determine the potential for reduced energy consumption and facility/operating costs, and (3) a techno-economic assessment of potential advancements in microbial ammonia production.

Source record↗