Improvement of fermentation of dried distillers' grains and solubles (DDGS) hydrolysates to acetone butanol and ethanol (ABE) with hydrolysate-adapted Clostridium beijerinckii BA 101

Yi Wang, Xiaojuan Wang, Thaddeus Ezeji, Hao Feng, Hans Blaschek

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Formation of compounds that are toxic to fermenting organisms during pretreatment and hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass has long been identified as one of the key factors affecting bioconversion of biomass to biofuels. In this study, fermentation was carried out to convert electrolyzed water pretreated dried distillers' grains and solubles (DDGS) hydrolysates to acetone butanol ethanol (ABE) using the hyper-butanol producing Clostridium beijerinckii BA 101. The presence of inhibitors in the DDGS hydrolysates resulted in a 40 h adjustment phase before the initiation of fermentation while the mixed sugar control fermentation was completed in less than 16 hours. While the ABE yield (ABE produced per unit of sugar utilized) obtained from the fermentation of DDGS hydrolysates was comparable to the yield obtained from the mixed sugar control fermentation, ABE productivity (ABE produced per unit of fermentation time) from the DDGS hydrolysates was lower than that of the mixed sugar control due to the long adjustment time experienced by C. beijerinckii BA101 in DGGS hydrolysates fermentation. Consequently, C. beijerinckii BA101 spores which had sporulated in DDGS hydrolysates were collected and used to ferment inhibitors-containing DDGS hydrolysates. Results demonstrated that inhibitor-adapted C. beijerinckii cells were able to adjust to the inhibitory environment in less than 20 hours and produce approximately the same amount of ABE as in the case for the control fermentation. Challenging the microorganism using the inhibitors present in the hydrolysates is believed to have enhanced the tolerance of C. beijerinckii to the inhibitors and resulted in significantly shorter lag phase. The results from this study demonstrated that the use of inhibitor-adapted Clostridium may be a promising option for ABE production.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationASABE - Bioenergy Engineering Conference 2009
Pages100-104
Number of pages5
StatePublished - 2009
EventBioenergy Engineering Conference 2009 - Bellevue, WA, United States
Duration: Oct 11 2009Oct 14 2009

Publication series

NameASABE - Bioenergy Engineering Conference 2009

Other

OtherBioenergy Engineering Conference 2009
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBellevue, WA
Period10/11/0910/14/09

Keywords

  • Acetone butanol ethanol (ABE)
  • Adaption
  • Clostridium beijerinckii BA 101
  • DDGS
  • Inhibition
  • Tolerance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

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