I-Corps: Commercial potential of exploiting synthetic microbial consortia for efficient production of fuels/chemicals from cellulosic biomass

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Biological conversion of cellulosic biomass into fuels and commodity chemicals is a sustainable alternative to present petroleum-based production platforms. Economic analyses indicate that substantial cost reductions can be achieved by integrating all required biological functions into a single bioreactor (termed consolidated bioprocessing). As a proof of concept, the PI has demonstrated direct conversion of microcrystalline cellulose and pretreated corn stover to isobutanol, a promising next-generation biofuel. Due to its efficiency, modularity, and robustness, the proposed microbial coculture technology platform has great commercial potential for cost-effective production of many other biofuels and valuable biochemicals. The proposed platform could reduce processing costs for potential customers/partners by decreasing the number of reactors required and/or eliminating to the need to purchase hydrolytic enzymes. Furthermore, the proposed system could enable customers/partners to transition from food-based to more abundant, sustainable, and lower-cost lignocellulose feedstocks.