Project description
Greener chemical production harnesses microbes and atmospheric CO2
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a promising carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technology that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable greener chemistry. To date, MES has been employed primarily to produce acetic acid from CO2. However, enhancements of reactor design and meticulous control of operating conditions could pave the way for the selective production of more valuable middle chain fatty acids (i.e. caproic acid). This will also facilitate downstream processing (extraction and concentration) of the produced chemicals to meet the commercialisation standards. The EU-funded ATMESPHERE project is developing a novel biorefinery concept for the sustainable production, extraction and concentration of caproic acid from CO2.
Objective
Reduction of carbon emission to the atmosphere has become a key target to preserve the planet from its dramatic effects. The EU aims to become the first climate-neutral bloc by 2050, but development of novel carbon capture technologies, and a shift towards sustainable production of chemicals, are required to reach such ambitious goal. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES), in which CO2 is biologically converted to carboxylates and/or alcohols, enables reduction of carbon emissions whilst producing green chemical products. To date, acetate is the main compound produced from CO2 via MES, whereas more valuable caproate has been only produced at low concentrations due to product toxicity and thermodynamic limitations. The “atMESphere” project aims to push MES towards commercialisation by implementing a novel, resilient and sustainable biorefinery concept for selective production, extraction and concentration of caproate from CO2. In a first stage, the operation conditions in MES cells (including microbial consortia, pH, H2 partial pressure, and carbon availability) will be investigated and fine-tuned to obtain, for the first time, selective, high-rate caproate production from CO2. Then, a novel two-stage purification process, comprising of extraction through silicone membrane and concentration by shock electrodialysis, will be developed and integrated to the optimised MES cell, through a recirculation loop, to achieve selective separation of caproate, which has several applications in the energy, food and chemical industry. This project is highly interdisciplinary, involving tools, approaches and expertise from engineering, microbiology, electrochemistry, biotechnology, and membrane technology, and the experienced researcher will receive high-quality training on both scientific and horizontal skills. Dissemination, communication and exploitation activities have been planned to reach the most diverse audiences, and ensure commercial relevance of the proposed technology.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation bioreactors
- engineering and technology chemical engineering separation technologies desalination electrodialysis
- engineering and technology environmental engineering carbon capture engineering
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
17004 GIRONA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.