Coskata, Inc.

Synata Bio, Inc.

Other

Michigan Biotechnology Institute

Mango Materials, Inc.

Robert F Hickey

Rathin Datta

Shih-Perng Tsai

Richard E Tobey

Jianxin Du

Rahul Basu

Steven G Calderone

Andrew C Reeves

Seong-Hoon Yoon

Michael V Enzien

Hans E Grethlein

Blaine F Severin

Mark Neville

Jian Xu

Steven L Donnellan

Allison J Pieja

Daniel J Wagner

William Levinson

Margaret Catherine Morse

Chad Hatten

Joshua Schumacher

Jian Du

Processes are provided for enhancing the productivity of fermenters during the metabolic conversion of methane-containing gases to products containing polyhydroxyalkanoate, which products can be used to make, for instance, animal feed or biodegradable, polymeric articles. The processes involve one or both of attenuating the heat generated to grow a population of microorganisms and removal of heat during the fermentation by removal of carbon dioxide.

High productivity methane fermentation processes

The methods are disclosed for sustaining a population of microorganisms in an aqueous fermentation broth used in a process to convert syngas to alcohol when the supply of syngas is impaired. The methods involve supplying at least one formate moiety at a rate and amount sufficient to maintain the population of microorganisms. The introduction of the formate moiety also results in the production of at least one metabolic compound other than ethanol and/or acetate by the microorganisms. The metabolic compound can comprise at least one energy storage compound which can be used to support the microorganisms during processing, storage and reactivation.

Methods for sustaining the viability of microorganisms during a cessation of syngas flow and processes for storage and reactivation of microorganisms

Processes are disclosed for economically and effectively removing co-produced oxygenated organic compound from an anaerobic, aqueous fermentation broth used for the bioconversion of syngas to product oxygenated organic compound. The processes involve subjecting a portion of the aqueous fermentation broth after recovery of the product oxygenated organic compound to anaerobic organic bioconversion, and recycling the broth for use in the bioconversion of syngas.

Processes for controlling the concentration of co-produced oxygenated organics in anaerobic fermentation broths for the bioconversion of syngas to product oxygenated organic compound

Processes for starting up and operating anaerobic, deep tank fermentation reactors including a process for anaerobic bioconversion of a gas substrate comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide in a reactor by contact of the gas substrate with an aqueous menstruum containing microorganisms suitable for converting the gas substrate to an oxygenated organic compound in the reactor. The process further includes: blanketing the reactor above the aqueous menstruum to the essential exclusion of oxygen with a head space gas comprising at least one of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and a lower alkane; continuously supplying a feed gas comprising at least a portion of the gas substrate to the aqueous menstruum in the reactor; and injecting the gas substrate and a motive liquid into the reactor to form a dispersion of the motive liquid and microbubbles, the microbubbles having a diameter of less than about 500 microns.

Processes for starting up and operating deep tank anaerobic fermentation reactors for making oxygenated organic compound from carbon monoxide and hydrogen

High conversion efficiency processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol. The processes use bioreactors that have a non-uniform gas composition and a substantially uniform liquid composition such as deep tank bioreactors. By maintaining certain electron to carbon mole ratios in the syngas feed to the bioreactors and certain partial pressures of carbon dioxide in the off gas from the bioreactors, at least about 80 percent of the hydrogen and at least about 95 percent of the carbon monoxide in the feed can be consumed.

Processes and control systems for high efficiency anaerobic conversion of hydrogren and carobon oxides to alcohols

Continuous processes for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to oxygenated hydrocarbonaceous products, in particular lower alkanols, are disclosed in which nutrients, including micronutrients, and lower carboxylate anion are recovered from at least a portion of an aqueous distillation fraction from a distillation unit operation to recover lower alkanols by using a 'tight' ultrafiltration membrane. At least about 75 percent of the water permeates the ultrafiltration membrane. The tight ultrafiltration membrane rejects sufficient components that are adverse to the microorganisms used in the bioconversion that continuous fermentation operations over long durations can be achieved.

Processes for bioconverting syngas to oxygenated hydrocarbonaceous compounds

Integrated processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol.

Integrated processes for anaerobic conversion of hydrogen and carbon oxides to alcohol

Processes are disclosed for economically and effectively removing co-produced oxygenated organic compound from an anaerobic, aqueous fermentation broth used for the bioconversion of syngas to product oxygenated organic compound. Nitrate anion is added to the broth and the broth is contacted with denitrifying microorganisms that bioconvert the nitrate and organic compounds in the broth to reduced nitrogen compound and carbon dioxide.

Processes for removing co-produced oxygenated organics from anaerobic fermentation broths for the bioconversion of syngas to product oxygenated organic compound

This invention provides methods and systems for the production of propanol. Specifically, the methods and systems of the present invention use symbiotic co-cultures for the production of propanol from syngas.

Method for production of n-propanol and other C3-containing products from syngas by symbiotic co-cultures of anaerobic microorganisms

Processes for starting up and operating anaerobic, deep tank fermentation systems to anaerobically bioconvert hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a gaseous substrate stream to oxygenated organic compounds and for steady operation of such fermentation systems are shown. Injectors use a motive liquid to introduce gas substrate as a stable gas-in liquid dispersion into the deep tank fermentation reactor where at least one of: (i) adjusting the gas to liquid flow ratio through an injector, (ii) changing the rate of liquid flow through an injector, and (iii) adjusting the carbon monoxide mole fraction in the gas feed by admixture with at least one other gas, wherein the mass transfer of carbon monoxide to an aqueous menstruum in the reactor is controlled to obtain the robust growth of the microorganism and/or continued conversion of gas substrate while maintaining the carbon monoxide concentration below that amount which is unduly adverse to the microorganism.

Processes and control systems for high efficiency anaerobic conversion of hydrogen and carbon oxides to alcohols

Integrated processes are provided for syngas refining and bioconversion of syngas to oxygenated organic compound. In the integrated processes ammonia contained in the syngas is recovered and used as a source of nitrogen and water for the fermentation. The integrated processes first remove tars from syngas by scrubbing using a first aqueous medium under conditions that ammonium bicarbonate is unstable. With tars removed, contact between the syngas and a second aqueous medium enables ammonia and carbon dioxide to be removed from the syngas without undue removal of components adverse to the fermentation, processing or oxygenated product such as benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylene, acetylene, and hydrogen cyanide. At least a portion of the second aqueous medium is supplied as a source of water and ammonia for the fermentation.

Integrated processes for refining syngas and bioconversion to oxygenated organic compound

The methods are disclosed for sustaining a population of microorganisms in an aqueous fermentation broth used in a process to convert syngas to alcohol when the supply of syngas is decreased or ceased. The methods involve supplying at least one reducible anion in a rate an amount sufficient to maintain the population of microorganisms.

Methods for sustaining the viability of acetogens during a decrease or cessation of syngas flow

Integrated processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol wherein a gas substrate of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide is in contact with an aqueous menstruum that continuously contacts the gas substrate with said aqueous menstruum to produce alcohol and a depleted gas phase that is continuously withdrawn from the aqueous menstruum; continuously or intermittently and the gas substrate is made up of at least two gases having different compositions to provide an overall gas substrate having a ratio of electrons to carbon atoms in the range of about 5.2:1 to 6.8:1.

Processes for the bioconversion of syngas to oxygenated organic compound are disclosed that reliably, cost-effectively and efficiently supply sulfur nutrient to microorganisms contained in acidic, aqueous fermentation menstrua. In the processes of this invention, basic, aqueous solution used to maintain the pH of the aqueous fermentation menstruum is used to remove hydrogen sulfide from the off-gas from the fermentation menstruum for recycle to the fermentation menstruum.

Growing community of inventors

Okemos, MI, United States of America

Robert F Hickey