Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Low-Cost Biological Solution for Reducing Carbon Pollution in Chemical Manufacturing
EPA Contract Number: EPD15022Title: Low-Cost Biological Solution for Reducing Carbon Pollution in Chemical Manufacturing
Investigators: Greenfield, Derek
Small Business: Industrial Microbes, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2015 through February 29, 2016
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2015) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Air and Climate
Description:
New chemical production methods must be part of the strategy for reducing carbon pollution. Industrial chemical production is a major source of carbon pollution; the petrochemical industry emits hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year converting oil and natural gas into chemical products. In fact, production of petrochemicals is responsible for almost 20% of direct industrial emissions. Energy-intensive unit operations such as high-temperature steam cracking, distillation, and high-pressure reactions are responsible for much of these emissions. More energy-efficient chemical processes are urgently needed to reduce this carbon pollution.
Fermentation is an excellent low-pollution method to manufacture chemicals but is generally expensive. Fermentation technology does not rely on the energy-intensive unit operations used in traditional petrochemical manufacturing. Fermentation is an inherently low-pollution process because reactions occur inside living cells at everyday temperatures and pressures, and enzymes catalyze highly selective, resource-efficient reactions. Carbon emissions are low because energy needs are minimal. In addition, some enzyme pathways, such as the one developed in this proposal, actually consume carbon dioxide. While proven fermentation technologies exist that could replace many petrochemical processes, most are not cost-competitive with existing processes from petroleum. High costs for raw materials are a major cost-driver for fermentation technologies.
Our innovation is an industrial process for chemical production that combines low carbon pollution with low costs. Industrial Microbes is building a platform technology to disruptively lower the cost of fermentative chemical production. Using the tools of synthetic biology, we are engineering proven industrial microbes to produce chemicals from the least expensive carbon sources available: carbon dioxide and methane. Methane is abundant in the U.S. and available year-round from natural gas, biogas, or stranded gas that is often flared. Carbon dioxide is emitted as a waste product from the combustion of fuels. To further keep costs low, we have designed our processes to use low-cost purification methods. For example, we have engineered our microbes to secrete our chemical products into the fermentation broth, removing any requirement for expensive, energy-intense cell disruption. The only byproducts from our fermentation are water and biomass.
Our initial focus is on a class of high-value intermediate chemicals with four carbon atoms because these chemicals are currently produced via a carbon-intensive process with significant room for improvement. These chemicals are used to make a wide variety of end products.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
We have successfully produced the target chemical by discovering a new set of enzymes that can accomplish this chemical production task. All aims of the project were completed. We engineered a microbe by inserting the new enzymes, then showed that the microbe could make the desired chemical under multiple conditions. Many combinations of enzymes were tested, but only a single combination worked well. This microbe and enzyme system appears to be simpler and potentially more efficient than previously developed microbes. We have also showed that we can improve the production of the chemical by optimizing the conditions for the microbe.
Conclusions:
We have developed an innovative fermentation solution to produce an important chemical used to manufacture plastics, spandex fibers, polyurethanes for a multi-billion-dollar market. We will build upon this Phase I project to develop a microbe that can consume carbon dioxide and methane to produce the target chemical at high efficiency.
Commercialization
The technology developed under this proposal has a strong potential to be commercialized to benefit society. We have conducted over 60 customer interviews with potential partner companies. From these interviews we have identified several high-priority chemical producers with an interest in our technology platform for production of chemicals from methane and carbon dioxide. The market is large and growing, and customers include chemical companies and material manufacturers. From interviews we have determined that the combination of low-carbon-pollution and lower cost is key for adoption of our technology.
SBIR Phase II:
Low-Cost Biological Solution for Reducing Carbon Pollution in Chemical Manufacturing | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.