scholarly journals Energy Conservation in the Acetogenic Bacterium Clostridium aceticum

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Anja Wiechmann ◽  
Volker Müller

In times of global warming caused by the extensive use of fossil fuels, the need to capture gaseous carbon compounds is growing bigger. Several groups of microorganisms can fix the greenhouse gas CO2. Out of these, acetogenic bacteria are role models in their ability to reduce CO2 with hydrogen to acetate, which makes acetogens prime candidates for genetic modification towards biotechnological production of value-added compounds from CO2, such as biofuels. However, growth of acetogens on gaseous substrates is strongly energy-limited, and successful metabolic engineering requires a detailed knowledge of the bioenergetics. In 1939, Clostridium aceticum was the first acetogen to be described. A recent genomic study revealed that this organism contains cytochromes and therefore may use a proton gradient in its respiratory chain. We have followed up these studies and will present data that C. aceticum does not use a H+ but a Na+ gradient for ATP synthesis, established by a Na+-Rnf. Experimental data and in silico analyses enabled us to propose the biochemistry and bioenergetics of acetogenesis from H2 + CO2 in C. aceticum.

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 7639
Author(s):  
Sangrak Jin ◽  
Jiyun Bae ◽  
Yoseb Song ◽  
Nicole Pearcy ◽  
Jongoh Shin ◽  
...  

Synthesis gas, which is mainly produced from fossil fuels or biomass gasification, consists of C1 gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane as well as hydrogen. Acetogenic bacteria (acetogens) have emerged as an alternative solution to recycle C1 gases by converting them into value-added biochemicals using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Despite the advantage of utilizing acetogens as biocatalysts, it is difficult to develop industrial-scale bioprocesses because of their slow growth rates and low productivities. To solve these problems, conventional approaches to metabolic engineering have been applied; however, there are several limitations owing to the lack of required genetic bioparts for regulating their metabolic pathways. Recently, synthetic biology based on genetic parts, modules, and circuit design has been actively exploited to overcome the limitations in acetogen engineering. This review covers synthetic biology applications to design and build industrial platform acetogens.


Nanoscale ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Shao ◽  
Xiaodong Zhang

Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the excessive consumption of fossil fuels has exhibited a huge threat to the planet’s ecosystem. Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction into value-added chemicals have been regarded as a...


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Czaja ◽  
Paweł Kamiński ◽  
Jerzy Klich ◽  
Antoni Tajduś

Abstract Learning to control fire changed the life of man considerably. Learning to convert the energy derived from combustion of coal or hydrocarbons into another type of energy, such as steam pressure or electricity, has put him on the path of scientific and technological revolution, stimulating dynamic development. Since the dawn of time, fossil fuels have been serving as the mankind’s natural reservoir of energy in an increasingly great capacity. A completely incomprehensible refusal to use fossil fuels causes some local populations, who do not possess a comprehensive knowledge of the subject, to protest and even generate social conflicts as an expression of their dislike for the extraction of minerals. Our times are marked by the search for more efficient ways of utilizing fossil fuels by introducing non-conventional technologies of exploiting conventional energy sources. During apartheid, South Africa demonstrated that cheap coal can easily satisfy total demand for liquid and gaseous fuels. In consideration of current high prices of hydrocarbon media (oil and gas), gasification or liquefaction of coal seems to be the innovative technology convergent with contemporary expectations of both energy producers as well as environmentalists. Known mainly from literature reports, underground coal gasification technologies can be brought down to two basic methods: - shaftless method - drilling, in which the gasified seam is uncovered using boreholes drilled from the surface, - shaft method, in which the existing infrastructure of underground mines is used to uncover the seams. This paper presents a hybrid shaft-drilling approach to the acquisition of primary energy carriers (methane and syngas) from coal seams located at great depths. A major advantage of this method is the fact that the use of conventional coal mining technology requires the seams located at great depths to be placed on the off-balance sheet, while the hybrid method of underground gasification enables them to become a source of additional energy for the economy. It should be noted, however, that the shaft-drilling method cannot be considered as an alternative to conventional methods of coal extraction, but rather as a complementary and cheaper way of utilizing resources located almost beyond the technical capabilities of conventional extraction methods due to the associated natural hazards and high costs of combating them. This article presents a completely different approach to the issue of underground coal gasification. Repurposing of the already fully depreciated mining infrastructure for the gasification process may result in a large value added of synthesis gas production and very positive economic effect.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Amin Farkhondehfal ◽  
Juqin Zeng

The CO2 that comes from the use of fossil fuels accounts for about 65% of the global greenhouse gas emission, and it plays a critical role in global climate changes. Among the different strategies that have been considered to address the storage and reutilization of CO2, the transformation of CO2 into chemicals and fuels with a high added-value has been considered a winning approach. This transformation is able to reduce the carbon emission and induce a “fuel switching” that exploits renewable energy sources. The aim of this chapter is to categorize different heterogeneous electrocatalysts which are being used for CO2 reduction, based on the desired products of the above mentioned reactions: from formic acid and carbon monoxide to methanol and ethanol and other possible by products. Moreover, a brief description of the kinetic and mechanism of the CO2 reduction reaction) and pathways toward different products have been discussed.


1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 722
Author(s):  
N.G. Grollman

The oil and gas reserves of Australia and the East Asian region fall well short of the region's long-term requirements, even for a scenario that phases out all fossil fuels by the end of the 21st century. There is, therefore, no contradiction between vigorous exploration for oil and gas and the process of transition to renewable energy sources. However, to be an independent player in environmental policy-making, the Australian petroleum exploration industry should focus on its particular role within the energy sector as a whole, whose nature will change radically over the next several decades. This role will combine concerns over long term oil supply security with, in particular, the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas consumption to levels commensurate with Australia's international obligations. The role extends to Australian involvement in the region as a whole through the accrual of emissions credits from projects implemented jointly with developing countries. It also envisages that Australian explorers, especially those focussed on gas, will form alliances with downstream companies, power generators, appliance manufacturers and energy marketers as links in an integrated chain of operations with value added and emissions reduced at each stage. This re-orientation should lead the industry to question the extent to which its interests correspond with those of the coal and mineral industries, which do not face the same resource limitations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Eggers ◽  
Carl Simon Strittmatter ◽  
Kira Küsters ◽  
Emre Biller ◽  
Alexander Steinbüchel

ABSTRACT The biotin metabolism of the Gram-negative facultative chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Ralstonia eutropha (syn. Cupriavidus necator), which is used for biopolymer production in industry, was investigated. A biotin auxotroph mutant lacking bioF was generated, and biotin depletion in the cells and the minimal biotin demand of a biotin-auxotrophic R. eutropha strain were determined. Three consecutive cultivations in biotin-free medium were necessary to prevent growth of the auxotrophic mutant, and 40 ng/ml biotin was sufficient to promote cell growth. Nevertheless, 200 ng/ml biotin was necessary to ensure growth comparable to that of the wild type, which is similar to the demand of biotin-auxotrophic mutants among other prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. A phenotypic complementation of the R. eutropha ΔbioF mutant was only achieved by homologous expression of bioF of R. eutropha or heterologous expression of bioF of Bacillus subtilis but not by bioF of Escherichia coli. Together with the results from bioinformatic analysis of BioFs, this leads to the assumption that the intermediate of biotin synthesis in R. eutropha is pimeloyl-CoA instead of pimeloyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) like in the Gram-positive B. subtilis. Internal biotin content was enhanced by homologous expression of accB, whereas homologous expression of accB and accC2 in combination led to decreased biotin concentrations in the cells. Although a DNA-binding domain of the regulator protein BirA is missing, biotin synthesis seemed to be influenced by the amount of acceptor protein present. IMPORTANCE Ralstonia eutropha is applied in industry for the production of biopolymers and serves as a research platform for the production of diverse fine chemicals. Due to its ability to grow on hydrogen and carbon dioxide as the sole carbon and energy source, R. eutropha is often utilized for metabolic engineering to convert inexpensive resources into value-added products. The understanding of the metabolic pathways in this bacterium is mandatory for further bioengineering of the strain and for the development of new strategies for biotechnological production.


2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Hirche ◽  
Charles Butcher

AbstractIntroductionSeveral studies forecast that the share of biotechnological processes in the total sales volume of chemical products will probably soar to around 15–20 % by 2010. Alone for the chemical industry, the potential value added of biotechnological production has been predicted to reach € 11–22 billion worldwide annually by then. The value added stems not only from new biotechnological products, but also from the effects of improved manufacturing processes. At ACHEMA 2006 in May 2006 in Frankfurt am Main - the world's leading event for the process industries - besides the integral general topic Biotechnological Equipment, which focuses on the equipment sector a special Industrial Biotechnology Exhibition and a Partnering Conference took place, thus paying tribute to the growing significance of industrial biotechnology and supporting international networking.


mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Poehlein ◽  
Martin Cebulla ◽  
Marcus M. Ilg ◽  
Frank R. Bengelsdorf ◽  
Bettina Schiel-Bengelsdorf ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTClostridium aceticumwas the first isolated autotrophic acetogen, converting CO2plus H2or syngas to acetate. Its genome has now been completely sequenced and consists of a 4.2-Mbp chromosome and a small circular plasmid of 5.7 kbp. Sequence analysis revealed major differences from other autotrophic acetogens.C. aceticumcontains an Rnf complex for energy conservation (via pumping protons or sodium ions). Such systems have also been found inC. ljungdahliiandAcetobacterium woodii. However,C. aceticumalso contains a cytochrome, as doesMoorella thermoacetica, which has been proposed to be involved in the generation of a proton gradient. Thus,C. aceticumseems to represent a link between Rnf- and cytochrome-containing autotrophic acetogens. InC. aceticum, however, the cytochrome is probably not involved in an electron transport chain that leads to proton translocation, as no genes for quinone biosynthesis are present in the genome.IMPORTANCEAutotrophic acetogenic bacteria are receiving more and more industrial focus, as CO2plus H2as well as syngas are interesting new substrates for biotechnological processes. They are both cheap and abundant, and their use, if it results in sustainable products, also leads to reduction of greenhouse gases.Clostridium aceticumcan use both gas mixtures, is phylogenetically not closely related to the commonly used species, and may thus become an even more attractive workhorse. In addition, its energy metabolism, which is characterized here, and the ability to synthesize cytochromes might offer new targets for improving the ATP yield by metabolic engineering and thus allow use ofC. aceticumfor production of compounds by pathways that currently present challenges for energy-limited acetogens.


Author(s):  
K.M.P. Mokatse ◽  
J.P.H. van Wyk

Environmental pollution and the exploitation of fossil-based products are topical issues that should be a matter of concern to the global population. The production of bio-based substances from waste biomass is a way to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and limit environmental pollution. Enzymatic catalysed saccharification of cellulose is an important step for the bio-conversion of biomass such as waste paper into glucose that could be utilized as a feedstock for the production of value added bioproducts and this process can also be considered as an alternative route of waste management. During this study, fresh cellulase enzyme from Trichoderma viride was incubated separately with seven different waste paper materials during twelve successive incubation periods of 2 h each. The amount of sugar released from each paper material during each incubation period was determined. The highest sugar concentration released from each paper materials was produced during the first incubation period except the filter paper for which the highest amount of sugar was produced during the 9th period of incubation. During these optimum sugar producing incubation periods the highest total sugar concentration was released from brown envelope paper (3.3 mg.mL-1 followed by foolscap paper (3.0 mg.mL-1) and office paper (2.8 mg.mL-1) while the lowest amount of sugar was released from Pick ’n Pay paper (0.6 mg.mL-1). The relative saccharification percentage was also calculated which showed that filter paper produced the highest amounts of sugar followed by newspaper, and foolscap paper with advertising paper from a retailer. Pick ’n Pay offered the highest resistance towards cellulase catalysed bio-conversion into sugar.


Author(s):  
Marta Goliszek ◽  
Beata Podkościelna

<p>The overutilization of fossil fuels will inevitably cause the global environmental problems and dwindling of available resources. For that reason, identifying renewable sustainable alternatives has attracted an increasing attention. Lignocellulosic biomass has been considered to be one of the most logical feedstock to replace traditional fossil resources as one of the most accessible renewable forms of carbon. One of the primary components of lignocellulosic biomass, next to hemicellulose and cellulose is lignin. It is a by-product in paper and pulp industry. Lignin is mainly used as fuel directly, without further utilization which is suggested to be a waste of natural resources. With this purpose, the valorization of lignin into value-added products needs particular attention of researchers. This review article focuses on chosen possible applications of lignin in chemical industry.</p>


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