Polyhydroxyalkanoates production from syngas fermentation effluents: Effect of nitrogen availability

Syngas fermentation is a promising technology for bioalcohols production even though some produced volatile fatty acids (VFA) may remain unconsumed in the effluent. The present research explored of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from remaining VFA syngas effluents fed-batch bioreactors so that and biopolymers could be obtained combined way. In order to perform these PHA accumulation tests, two different effluents, composed mainly mixture alcohols, were used as substrate. Those characterized by nitrogen availabilities, one being N-rich other N-limited. A mixed microbial culture (MMC) with maximum storage ability 53.6% was inoculum. microorganisms MMC consumed rather than allowing latter accumulate end product, besides PHA. However, when effluent substrate, consumption rate alcohols 20 times higher (0.040 Cmmol-Alcohol Cmmol-X-1 h-1) compared N-limited (0.002 h-1). Despite not observing large differences amount accumulated (40.5 – 41.5%), there decrease content after reaching its peak This trend observed effluent, which exactly matched experiment.