Integrating Chemical Catalysis And Biological Conversion Of Carbon Intermediates For Deriving Value-added Products From Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide (CO2), one of the greenhouse gases, affects the climate more because of the increasing emission. Reducing CO2 by electrochemistry to produce C1 intermediates and feeding those intermediates to engineered Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 〖20Z〗^R can produce valuable chemicals while promoting CO2 recycle. However, integrating the electrochemical and biological conversion systems is challenging. This study provides several ways to combine two systems together, such as the modification of the media. Moreover, the analysis of spent media can help understand the character of the strain, which also provides the potential method for the optimization of product yield. The study shows that formic acid is a key factor of the cultivation, which accumulation can lead to cell death. Tuning the amount of Tungsten (W) and Copper (Cu) is capable of changing the pathways of methanol utilization to affect the excretion of formic acid. Besides, fed-batch culture can extend the cultivation time as well since the accumulation of formic acid slows down. It also shows that cells can be alive during a short time of nutrient starvation. Other modifications like Potassium (K) as a replacement of Sodium (Na) and the increasing amount of carbonate provide the approach to combine electrochemical cell with bacteria culture. With those efforts, the integration is feasible and has the potential to contribute to the industry because CO2 is no longer waste but a feedstock. It is also beneficial to the environment since the recyclying of greenhouse gas can stop climate changing