Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ConCO2rde (Training network on the conversion of CO2 by smart autotrophic biorefineries)
Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2022-12-31
CONCO2RDE
With a growing world population, depleting fossil resources and ongoing climate change, innovative new approaches are needed to reintegrate the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into a circular economy and provide sustainable energy and material sources for future generations. The CONCO2RDE consortium aims to harness the power of autotrophic microorganisms to use renewable energy (e.g. green hydrogen) for the accumulation of biomass directly from carbon dioxide to synthesize valuable chemicals with much lower environmental impact. CONCO2RDE will train 11 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in cutting-edge research projects on (i) the combination of synthetic biology with metabolic and process engineering to create an efficient pathway from carbon dioxide fixation to chemical production, (ii) the application of hydrogen-driven biotransformations using redox enzymes for the synthesis of high-value added chemicals, and (iii) the development of novel reactor concepts for gas fermentations using hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen towards commercially relevant processes. Finally, CONCO2RDE aims to evaluate the potential of autotrophic biorefineries for the industrial implementation of this technology. This double degree PhD program will provide in-depth training in an interdisciplinary working environment, strengthened by transferable skills training with strong industrial participation. The objectives will be achieved through an interdisciplinary consortium of 17 leading academic and private organizations, providing the ideal environment to foster complementary expertise in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biocatalysis and process engineering.
With a growing world population, depleting fossil resources and ongoing climate change, innovative new approaches are needed to reintegrate the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into a circular economy and provide sustainable energy and material sources for future generations. The CONCO2RDE consortium aims to harness the power of autotrophic microorganisms to use renewable energy (e.g. green hydrogen) for the accumulation of biomass directly from carbon dioxide to synthesize valuable chemicals with much lower environmental impact. CONCO2RDE will train 11 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in cutting-edge research projects on (i) the combination of synthetic biology with metabolic and process engineering to create an efficient pathway from carbon dioxide fixation to chemical production, (ii) the application of hydrogen-driven biotransformations using redox enzymes for the synthesis of high-value added chemicals, and (iii) the development of novel reactor concepts for gas fermentations using hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen towards commercially relevant processes. Finally, CONCO2RDE aims to evaluate the potential of autotrophic biorefineries for the industrial implementation of this technology. This double degree PhD program will provide in-depth training in an interdisciplinary working environment, strengthened by transferable skills training with strong industrial participation. The objectives will be achieved through an interdisciplinary consortium of 17 leading academic and private organizations, providing the ideal environment to foster complementary expertise in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biocatalysis and process engineering.
CONCO2RDE focuses on the development of genetic tools for strain manipulation, the integration of H2-driven biotransformations, new reactor concepts for H2/CO2/O2-based fermentation to achieve high cell densities and a better understanding of cell physiology under autotrophic culture conditions, accompanied by specially designed training of ESRs and dissemination of results to the scientific community and the public. The research is thereby divided in three scientific work packages focusing on tailor-made chassis strains by synthetic biotechnology (WP1), H2-driven synthesis of high-value products in whole cells (WP2), and process engineering of H2/O2/CO2-based fermentations (WP3). After the CONCO2RDE consortium successfully recruited its 11 highly talented young scientists, the first phase of the individual projects was dedicated to establish the experimental systems and the experimental proof of the concepts. The ESRs showed remarkable progress in taking the first steps toward the design of novel approaches for autotrophy-driven processes to be used for the production of the desired products. In addition, several secondments at the academic partner Universities and industry partners as well as intensive discussions at project meetings with participants from the private sector and the Cluster of Industrial Biotechnology allowed a clear orientation of the research for innovation and technical implementation. The double degree structure of the project offered a framework to conduct highly interdisciplinary research at the interface of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biocatalysis and process engineering.
Work on the development of genetic tools for strain manipulation has led to the identification of several novel physiological traits of the autotrophic bacterium that can now be manipulated to allow easier and faster genetic engineering. In addition, the newly developed genetic tools have already been used to generate several novel chassis strains, including whole-cell biocatalysts for the synthesis of N-heterocycles as precursors of pharmaceuticals, surfactants or proteins. The first phase of the project was also used to investigate optimal parameters for autotrophic cultivation in bioreactors and to develop novel reactor concepts for gas fermentations. The second phase of the project will focus on the evaluation of the novel chassis strains, their further optimization by genetic and metabolic engineering and their integration into gas fermentations with the aim of improving productivity and space-time yield.
Work on the development of genetic tools for strain manipulation has led to the identification of several novel physiological traits of the autotrophic bacterium that can now be manipulated to allow easier and faster genetic engineering. In addition, the newly developed genetic tools have already been used to generate several novel chassis strains, including whole-cell biocatalysts for the synthesis of N-heterocycles as precursors of pharmaceuticals, surfactants or proteins. The first phase of the project was also used to investigate optimal parameters for autotrophic cultivation in bioreactors and to develop novel reactor concepts for gas fermentations. The second phase of the project will focus on the evaluation of the novel chassis strains, their further optimization by genetic and metabolic engineering and their integration into gas fermentations with the aim of improving productivity and space-time yield.
Global climate change is reality. Just saving energy will not be sufficient given the energy-hungry technologies that keep human civilization running. To get to zero emission, humanity must go one step further by capturing CO2 directly from where it is emitted. To this end, the implementation of autotrophic microorganisms in biotechnology may hold the key to harness biology's synthetic ability to turn atmospheric CO2 directly into more complex molecules to produce fuels, plastics or pharmaceuticals. Here, CONCO2RDE steps in: the results of our research are expected to deliver an innovative and applicable biotechnological solution enabling the direct use of CO2 (e.g. derived from industrial off-gases) as resource to produce chemicals, pharmaceuticals or food/feed ingredients, fueled by green energy in form of hydrogen. The holistic way of utilizing autotrophic microorganisms for biotechnological processes needs the combination of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biocatalysis and process engineering. An integral part of CONCO2RDE is therefore the intensive interaction with the private sector to facilitate cross-sector discussion and the exchange of ideas through secondments to the various industrial partners. The first phase of CONCO2RDE demonstrated the generation of novel strains utilizing hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce valuable chemicals, together with important optimization steps to improve autotrophic cultivations. In the second phase, we expect that the interdisciplinary collaboration will increase our understanding of the physiological parameters that determine strain behavior, evaluation of strain performance under autotrophic conditions and their further optimization to efficiently synthesize various chemicals directly from carbon dioxide. We have currently publications under preparation and hence more scientific outcome will be obtained in the upcoming period of CONCO2RDE.