Design and evaluation of gas fermentation systems for CO reduction to C2 and C4 fatty acids: Non-genetic metabolic regulation with pressure, pH and reaction time.

Addressing the carbon emissions through microbial mediated fermentation is an emerging interest. Custom designed and fabricated gas fermentation (GF) systems were evaluated to optimize the headspace pressure, pH (6.5, 7.5, and 8.5), fermentation time, and substrate concentration by employing enriched homoacetogenic chemolithoautotrophs in non-genetic approach. Headspace pressure showed marked influence on the metabolic conversion of inorganic carbon to acetic and butyric acids with 26% higher productivity than the control (atmospheric pressure). Maximum volatile fatty acid (VFA) yield of 3.7 g/L was observed at alkaline pH (8.5) under 2 bar pressure at carbon load of 10 g/L, 96 h). Acetic (3.0 g/L) and butyric (0.7 g/L) acids were the major products upon conversion of 85% of the inorganic substrate. A better in-situ buffering (β = 0.048) at pH 8.5 along with higher reductive current (RCC: -4.4 mA) depicted better performance of GF towards CO reduction.