WO2011139804A2 - Utilisation de microorganismes d'oxyhydrogénation pour la capture de carbone non photosynthétique et la conversion de sources de carbone inorganique et/ou ci en composés organiques utiles - Google Patents

Utilisation de microorganismes d'oxyhydrogénation pour la capture de carbone non photosynthétique et la conversion de sources de carbone inorganique et/ou ci en composés organiques utiles Download PDF

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WO2011139804A2
WO2011139804A2 PCT/US2011/034218 US2011034218W WO2011139804A2 WO 2011139804 A2 WO2011139804 A2 WO 2011139804A2 US 2011034218 W US2011034218 W US 2011034218W WO 2011139804 A2 WO2011139804 A2 WO 2011139804A2
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Prior art keywords
carbon
oxyhydrogen
hydrogen
gas
column
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PCT/US2011/034218
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English (en)
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WO2011139804A3 (fr
Inventor
John Reed
Lisa Dyson
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Sequesco
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Priority claimed from PCT/US2010/001402 external-priority patent/WO2011056183A1/fr
Priority to JP2013508232A priority Critical patent/JP2013542710A/ja
Priority to US13/643,872 priority patent/US20130149755A1/en
Priority to BR112012027661-1A priority patent/BR112012027661B1/pt
Priority to EP11777987.6A priority patent/EP2582817A4/fr
Application filed by Sequesco filed Critical Sequesco
Publication of WO2011139804A2 publication Critical patent/WO2011139804A2/fr
Publication of WO2011139804A3 publication Critical patent/WO2011139804A3/fr
Priority to US13/623,089 priority patent/US9879290B2/en
Priority to US14/361,603 priority patent/US20150140640A1/en
Priority to US14/388,756 priority patent/US20150017694A1/en
Priority to US14/033,013 priority patent/US9085785B2/en
Priority to US15/233,512 priority patent/US9957534B2/en
Priority to US15/839,785 priority patent/US20180346941A1/en
Priority to US15/936,440 priority patent/US20190040427A1/en
Priority to US15/963,536 priority patent/US11274321B2/en
Priority to US16/794,156 priority patent/US20200181656A1/en
Priority to US17/592,167 priority patent/US20220154228A1/en
Priority to US18/104,500 priority patent/US20230183762A1/en

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    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
    • C12M23/00—Constructional details, e.g. recesses, hinges
    • C12M23/34—Internal compartments or partitions
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    • C12M29/00—Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps
    • C12M29/02—Percolation
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    • C12M29/00—Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps
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    • C12M29/00—Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps
    • C12M29/18—External loop; Means for reintroduction of fermented biomass or liquid percolate
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    • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
    • C12M29/00—Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps
    • C12M29/20—Degassing; Venting; Bubble traps
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    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
    • C12M43/00—Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus
    • C12M43/04—Bioreactors or fermenters combined with combustion devices or plants, e.g. for carbon dioxide removal
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
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    • C12M47/00—Means for after-treatment of the produced biomass or of the fermentation or metabolic products, e.g. storage of biomass
    • C12M47/02—Separating microorganisms from the culture medium; Concentration of biomass
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    • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
    • C12N1/00—Microorganisms, e.g. protozoa; Compositions thereof; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of preparing or isolating a composition containing a microorganism; Culture media therefor
    • C12N1/12—Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor
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    • C12N1/00—Microorganisms, e.g. protozoa; Compositions thereof; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of preparing or isolating a composition containing a microorganism; Culture media therefor
    • C12N1/20—Bacteria; Culture media therefor
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    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B1/00—Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
    • C25B1/01—Products
    • C25B1/02—Hydrogen or oxygen
    • C25B1/04—Hydrogen or oxygen by electrolysis of water
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B15/00—Operating or servicing cells
    • C25B15/02—Process control or regulation
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E50/00—Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
    • Y02E50/30—Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/36—Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P20/00—Technologies relating to chemical industry
    • Y02P20/10—Process efficiency
    • Y02P20/133—Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
    • Y02W10/00—Technologies for wastewater treatment
    • Y02W10/30—Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies
    • Y02W10/37—Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies using solar energy

Definitions

  • the present invention falls within the technical areas of biofuels, bioremediation, carbon capture, carbon dioxide-to-fuels, carbon recycling, carbon sequestration, energy storage, gas-to-liquids, waste energy to fuels, syngas conversions, and
  • renewable/alternative and/or low carbon dioxide emission sources of energy are renewable/alternative and/or low carbon dioxide emission sources of energy.
  • the present invention is a unique example of the use of biocatalysts within a biological and chemical process to fix carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon and/or or other CI carbon sources into longer carbon chain organic chemical products in a non-photosynthetic process powered by low carbon emission energy sources and/or waste energy sources.
  • the present invention involves the production of chemical co-products that are co-generated through carbon-fixation reaction steps and/or non-biological reaction steps as part of an overall carbon capture and conversion process or syngas conversion process.
  • the present invention can enable the effective and economic capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or from a point source of carbon dioxide emissions as well as the economic use of waste energy sources and/or renewable energy sources and/or low carbon emission energy sources, for the production of liquid transportation fuel and/or other organic chemical products, which will help address greenhouse gas induced climate change and contribute to the domestic production of renewable liquid transportation fuels and/or other organic chemicals without any dependence upon agriculture.
  • a type of C0 2 -to-organic chemical approach that has received relatively less attention is hybrid chemical/biological processes where the biological step is limited to CO 2 fixation alone, corresponding to the dark reaction of photosynthesis.
  • the potential advantages of such a hybrid C0 2 -to-organic chemical process include the ability to combine enzymatic capabilities gained through billions of years of evolution in fixing CO 2 , with a wide array of abiotic technologies to power the process such as solar PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, or nuclear.
  • Microorganisms performing carbon fixation without light can be contained in more controlled and protected environments, less prone to water and nutrient loss, contamination, or weather damage, than what can be used for culturing photosynthetic microorganisms.
  • a hybrid chemical/biological system offers the possibility of a C02-to-organic chemical process that avoids many drawbacks of photosynthesis while retaining the biological capabilities for complex organic synthesis from C(3 ⁇ 4.
  • Chemoautotrophic microorganisms are generally microbes that can perform CO2 fixation like in the photosynthetic dark reaction, but which can get the reducing equivalents needed for CO2 fixation from an inorganic external source, rather than having to internally generate them through the photosynthetic light reaction.
  • Carbon fixing biochemical pathways that occur in chemoautotrophs include the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, and the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway.
  • the present invention utilizing oxyhydrogen microorganisms in the chemosynthetic fixation of CO2 under carefully controlled oxygen levels may have advantages for the production of longer chain organic compounds (e.g., C5 and longer).
  • the ability to produce longer chain organic compounds is an important advantage for the present invention since the energy densities (energy per unit volume) are generally higher for longer chain organic compounds, and the compatibility with the current transportation fleet is generally greater relative to, for example, shorter chain products such as CI and C2 products.
  • the process can couple the efficient production of high value organic compounds such as liquid hydrocarbon fuel with the disposal of waste sources of carbon, as well as with the capture of CO 2 , which can generate additional revenue.
  • the method comprises introducing an inorganic carbon compound and/or an organic compound containing only one carbon atom into an environment suitable for maintaining oxyhydrogen microorganisms and/or capable of maintaining extracts of oxyhydrogen microorganisms; and converting the inorganic carbon compound and/or the organic compound containing only one carbon atom into the organic chemical product and/or a precursor thereof within the environment via at least one chemosynthetic carbon-fixing reaction utilizing the oxyhydrogen microorganisms and/or cell extracts containing enzymes from the oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the method comprises introducing an inorganic carbon compound and/or an organic compound containing only one carbon atom into an environment suitable for maintaining oxyhydrogen microorganisms and/or capable of maintaining extracts of oxyhydrogen microorganisms; and converting the inorganic carbon compound and/or the organic compound containing only one carbon atom into the organic chemical product and/or a precursor thereof within the environment via at least one chemosynthetic carbon-fix
  • a bioreactor comprises, in one set of embodiments, a first column comprising an upper portion and a lower portion; and a second column comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the second column fluidically connected to the upper portion of the first column, and the lower portion of the second column fluidically connected to the lower portion of the first column.
  • the bioreactor is constructed and arranged such that, when a liquid is circulated between the first and second columns, a volume of gas is substantially stationary at the top of the first column and/or the second column. In some embodiments, the volume of gas occupies at least about 2% of the total volume of the column in which the volume is positioned.
  • a method of operating a bioreactor comprises, in some embodiments, circulating a liquid comprising a growth medium between a first column and a second column, wherein, during operation, a volume of gas remains substantially stationary at the top of the first column and/or the second column, and the volume of gas occupies at least about 2% of the total volume of the column in which the volume is positioned.
  • an electrolysis device comprising a chamber constructed and arranged to electrolyze water to produce oxygen and hydrogen; and an outlet comprising a separator constructed and arranged to separate at least a portion of the oxygen within a stream from at least a portion of the hydrogen within a stream such that the hydrogen content of the fluid exiting the separator is suitable for use as a feed stream to a reactor containing a culture of oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • a method of operating an electrolysis device comprises, in some embodiments, electrolyzing water to produce a first stream containing oxygen and hydrogen; and separating at least a portion of the oxygen from at least a portion of the hydrogen to produce a second stream relatively rich in hydrogen compared to the first stream, wherein the second stream is suitable for use as a feed stream to a reactor containing a culture of oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the present invention provides compositions and methods for the capture of carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide-containing gas streams and/or atmospheric carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide in dissolved, liquefied or chemically-bound form through a chemical and biological process that utilizes obligate or facultative oxyhydrogen microorganisms, and/or cell extracts containing enzymes from oxyhydrogen microorganisms in one or more carbon fixing process steps.
  • the present invention provides compositions and methods for the utilization of CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions generated from various gasified, pyrolyzed, or steam-reformed fixed carbon feedstocks, and convert said CI chemicals into longer chain organic compounds,
  • CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid
  • mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions generated from various gasified, pyrolyzed, or steam-reformed fixed carbon feedstocks, and convert said CI chemicals into longer chain organic compounds
  • the present invention provides compositions and methods for the recovery, processing, and use of the organic compounds produced by chemosynthetic reactions performed by oxyhydrogen microorganisms to fix inorganic carbon and/or CI carbon sources into longer chain organic compounds.
  • the present invention provides compositions and methods for the maintenance and control of the oxygen levels in the carbon-fixation environment for the enhanced (e.g., optimal) production of C5 or longer organic compound products through carbon fixation.
  • the present invention in certain embodiments, provides compositions and methods for the generation, processing and delivery of chemical nutrients needed for carbon-fixation and maintenance of oxyhydrogen microorganism cultures, including but not limited to the provision of electron donors and electron acceptors needed for non- photosynthetic carbon-fixation.
  • the present invention in certain embodiments, provides compositions and methods for the maintenance of an environment conducive for carbon- fixation, and the recovery and recycling of unused chemical nutrients and process water.
  • the present invention provides compositions and methods for chemical process steps that occur in series and/or in parallel with the chemosynthetic reaction steps that: convert unrefined raw input chemicals to more refined chemicals that are suited for supporting the chemosynthetic carbon fixing step; that convert energy inputs into a chemical form that can be used to drive chemosynthesis, and specifically into chemical energy in the form of electron donors and electron acceptors; that direct inorganic carbon captured from industrial or atmospheric or aquatic sources to the carbon fixation steps of the process under conditions that are suitable to support chemosynthetic carbon fixation by the oxyhydrogen microorganisms or enzymes and/or direct CI chemicals derived from low value or waste sources of carbon such as carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions derived from the gasification, pyrolysis, or steam reforming of various low value or waste carbon sources, that can be used by the oxyhydrogen micro
  • One feature of certain embodiments of the present invention is the inclusion of one or more process steps within a chemical process for the capture of inorganic carbon and conversion to fixed carbon products, that utilize oxyhydrogen microorganisms and/or enzymes from oxyhydrogen microorganisms as a biocatalyst for the fixation of carbon dioxide in carbon dioxide-containing gas streams or the atmosphere or water and/or dissolved or solid forms of inorganic carbon, into organic compounds.
  • carbon dioxide containing flue gas, or process gas, or air, or inorganic carbon in solution as dissolved carbon dioxide, carbonate ion, or bicarbonate ion including aqueous solutions such as sea water, or inorganic carbon in solid phases such as but not limited to carbonates and bicarbonates, is pumped or otherwise added to a vessel or enclosure containing nutrient media and oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • oxyhydrogen microorganisms perform chemosynthesis to fix inorganic carbon into organic compounds using the chemical energy stored in molecular hydrogen and/or valence or conduction electrons in solid state electrode materials and/or one or more of the following list of electron donors pumped or otherwise provided to the nutrient media including but not limited to: ammonia; ammonium; carbon monoxide; dithionite; elemental sulfur; hydrocarbons; metabisulfites; nitric oxide; nitrites; sulfates such as thiosulfates including but not limited to sodium thiosulfate (Na 2 S 2 0s) or calcium thiosulfate (CaS 2 0 3 ); sulfides such as hydrogen sulfide; sulfites; thionate; thionite; transition metals or their sulfides, oxides, chalcogenides, halides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, phosphates, s
  • Electron acceptors that may be used at the chemosynthetic reaction step include oxygen and/or other electron acceptors including but not limited to one or more of the following: carbon dioxide, ferric iron or other transition metal ions, nitrates, nitrites, sulfates, oxygen, or valence or conduction band holes in solid state electrode materials.
  • One feature of certain embodiments of the present invention is the inclusion of one or more process steps within a chemical process for the conversion of CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions generated from various gasified, pyrolyzed, or steam- reformed fixed carbon feedstocks, that utilize oxyhydrogen microorganisms and/or enzymes from oxyhydrogen microorganisms as a biocatalyst for the conversion of CI chemicals into longer chain organic chemicals (i.e. C2 or longer and, in some embodiments, C5 or longer carbon chain molecules).
  • CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid
  • mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions generated from various gasified, pyrolyzed, or steam- reformed fixed carbon feedstocks, that utilize oxyhydr
  • CI containing syngas, or process gas, or CI chemicals in a pure liquid form or dissolved in solution is pumped or otherwise added to a vessel or enclosure containing nutrient media and oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • oxyhydrogen microorganisms perform biochemical synthesis to elongate CI chemicals into longer carbon chain organic chemicals using the chemical energy stored in the CI chemical, and/or molecular hydrogen and/or valence or conduction electrons in solid state electrode materials and/or one or more of the following list of electron donors pumped or otherwise provided to the nutrient media including but not limited to: ammonia; ammonium; carbon monoxide; dithionite; elemental sulfur; hydrocarbons; metabisulfites; nitric oxide; nitrites; sulfates such as thiosulfates including but not limited to sodium thiosulfate (Na 2 S 2 (1 ⁇ 4) or calcium thiosulfate (CaS 2 0 3 );
  • the electron donors can be oxidized by electron acceptors in a chemosynthetic reaction.
  • Electron acceptors that may be used at this reaction step include oxygen and/or other electron acceptors including but not limited to one or more of the following: carbon dioxide, ferric iron or other transition metal ions, nitrates, nitrites, oxygen, or holes in solid state electrode materials.
  • C2 or longer and, in some embodiments, C5 or longer carbon chain molecules can be performed in aerobic, microaerobic, anoxic, anaerobic conditions, or facultative conditions.
  • a facultative environment is considered to be one having aerobic upper layers and anaerobic lower layers caused by stratification of the water column.
  • the oxygen level is controlled in some embodiments of the current invention so that the production of targeted organic compounds by the oxyhydrogen microorganisms through carbon-fixation is controlled (e.g., optimized).
  • One objective of controlling oxygen levels is to control (e.g., optimize) the intracellular Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) concentration through the cellular reduction of oxygen and production of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation, while simultaneously keeping the environment sufficiently reducing so that a high ratio of NADH (or NADPH) to NAD (or NADP) is also maintained.
  • ATP Adenosine Triphosphate
  • An advantage of using oxyhydrogen microorganisms over strictly anaerobic acetogenic or methanogenic microorganisms for carbon capture applications and/or syngas conversion applications is the higher oxygen tolerance of oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • a further advantage of using oxyhydrogen microorganisms for carbon capture applications and/or syngas conversion applications and/or biofuel production over using acetogens is that the production of ATP powered by the oxyhydrogen reaction results in a water product, which can readily be incorporated into the process stream, rather than the generally undesirable acetic acid or butyric acid products of acidogenesis which can harm the microorganisms by dropping the solution pH or accumulating to toxic levels.
  • An additional feature of certain embodiments of the present invention regards the source, production, or recycling of the electron donors used by the oxyhydrogen microorganisms to fix carbon dioxide into organic compounds and/or to synthesize longer carbon chain organic molecules from CI chemicals.
  • the electron donors used for carbon dioxide capture and carbon fixation can be produced or recycled in certain embodiments of the present invention electrochemically or thermochemically using power from a number of different renewable and/or low carbon emission energy technologies including but not limited to: photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind power, hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, enhanced geothermal, ocean thermal, ocean wave power, tidal power.
  • the electron donors can also be of mineralogical origin including but not limited to reduced S and Fe containing minerals.
  • the electron donors used in certain embodiments of the present invention can also be produced or recycled through chemical reactions with hydrocarbons that may or may not be a non-renewable fossil fuel, but where said chemical reactions produce low or zero carbon dioxide gas emissions.
  • oxide reduction reactions that produce a carbonate and a hydrogen product that can be used as electron donor in the carbon- fixation reaction steps of certain embodiments of the present invention include:
  • An additional feature of certain embodiments of the present invention regards the formation and recovery of organic compounds and/or biomass from the chemosynthetic carbon fixation step or steps. These organic compounds and/or biomass products can have a variety of applications.
  • An additional feature of certain embodiments of the present invention regards using modified oxyhydrogen microorganisms in the carbon-fixation step/steps such that a superior quantity and/or quality of organic compounds, biochemicals, or biomass is generated through chemosynthesis.
  • the oxyhydrogen microbes used in these steps may be modified through artificial means including but not limited to accelerated mutagenesis (e.g. using ultraviolet light or chemical treatments), genetic engineering or modification, hybridization, synthetic biology or traditional selective breeding.
  • Possible modifications of the oxyhydrogen microorganisms include but are not limited to those directed at producing increased quantity and/or quality of organic compounds and/or biomass to be used as a biofuels, or as feedstock for the production of biofuels including, but not limited to JP-8 jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, biodiesel, butanol, ethanol, hydrocarbons, methane, and pseudovegetable oil or any other hydrocarbon suitable for use as a renewable/alternate fuel leading to lowered greenhouse gas emissions.
  • compositions and methods that reduce the hazards of performing gas fermentations that utilize mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen within the invented process.
  • compositions and methods that take advantage of the oxygen tolerance and ability to use oxygen as an electron acceptor possessed by oxyhydrogen microorganisms in order to enable a system for converting water into hydrogen or hydride electron donors and oxygen electron acceptors, that has improved efficiency over the application of current state-of-the-art electrolysis for the purpose of generating hydrogen or hydride electron donors and oxygen electron acceptors, are also described.
  • FIG. 1 is a general process flow diagram for one embodiment of this invention for a carbon capture and fixation process
  • FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram for another embodiment of the present invention with capture of CO 2 performed by a microorganism capable of performing an oxyhydrogen reaction (e.g., hydrogen oxidizing purple non- sulfur bacteria) to produce a lipid-rich biomass that is converted into JP-8 jet fuel;
  • a microorganism capable of performing an oxyhydrogen reaction (e.g., hydrogen oxidizing purple non- sulfur bacteria) to produce a lipid-rich biomass that is converted into JP-8 jet fuel;
  • an oxyhydrogen reaction e.g., hydrogen oxidizing purple non- sulfur bacteria
  • FIG. 3 is diagram of a bioreactor design that can avoid dangerous mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen by exploiting the low solubilities of hydrogen and oxygen gas in water while providing the oxyhydrogen microorganism with the oxygen and hydrogen needed for cellular energy and carbon fixation;
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram of a bioreactor design that takes advantage of the relatively high solubility of carbon dioxide and the strong ability of oxyhydrogen microorganism to capture carbon dioxide from relatively dilute streams using a carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM), to remove CO 2 from a dilute gas mixture and separate it from low solubility gases such as oxygen and nitrogen; and
  • CCM carbon concentrating mechanism
  • FIG. 5 is an electrolysis technology that is specially designed to take advantage of the oxyhydrogen microorganisms' tolerance and need for a certain concentration of oxygen by decreasing the complete separation of the hydrogen and oxygen produced from standard electrolysis.
  • the present invention provides, in certain embodiments, compositions and methods for the capture and fixation of carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide-containing gas streams and/or atmospheric carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide in liquefied or chemically-bound form through a chemical and biological process that utilizes obligate or facultative oxyhydrogen microorganisms, and/or cell extracts containing enzymes from oxyhydrogen microorganisms in one or more process steps.
  • the fixation of inorganic carbon sources other than CO 2 and/or other CI carbon sources are also described.
  • Cell extracts include but are not limited to: a lysate, extract, fraction or purified product exhibiting chemosynthetic enzyme activity that can be created by standard methods from oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the present invention provides compositions and methods for the recovery, processing, and use of the chemical products of chemosynthetic reaction step or steps performed by oxyhydrogen microorganisms to fix inorganic carbon into organic compounds and/or synthetic reaction step or steps performed by oxyhydrogen microorganisms to elongate CI molecules to longer carbon chain organic chemicals.
  • the present invention provides compositions and methods for the production and processing and delivery of chemical nutrients needed for chemoautotrophic carbon-fixation by the oxyhydrogen microorganisms, and particularly electron donors including but not limited to molecular hydrogen and/or electrical power, and electron acceptors including but not limited to oxygen and carbon dioxide to drive the carbon fixation reaction; compositions and methods for the maintenance of an environment conducive for carbon-fixation by oxyhydrogen microorganisms; and compositions and methods for the removal of the chemical products of chemosynthesis from the oxyhydrogen culture environment and the recovery and recycling of unused of chemical nutrients.
  • the terms "molecular hydrogen,” “dihydrogen,” and "H 2 " are used
  • Oxyhydrogen microorganism and "knallgas microorganism” are used interchangeably throughout.
  • Oxyhydrogen microorganisms are generally described in Chapter 5, Section III of Thermophilic Bacteria, a book by Jakob Kristjansson, CRC Press, 1992, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • oxyhydrogen microorganisms are capable of performing the oxyhydrogen reaction.
  • Oxyhydrogen microorganisms generally have the ability to use molecular hydrogen by means of hydrogenases with some of the electrons donated from 3 ⁇ 4 being utilized for the reduction of NAD + (and/or other intracellular reducing equivalents) and the rest of the electrons for aerobic respiration.
  • oxyhydrogen microorganisms generally are capable of fixing CO 2 autotrophically, through pathways such as the reverse Calvin Cycle or the reverse citric acid cycle.
  • oxyhydrogen reaction and “knallgas reaction” are used interchangeably throughout to refer to the microbial oxidation of molecular hydrogen by molecular oxygen.
  • the oxyhydrogen reaction is generally expressed as:
  • Exemplary oxyhydrogen microorganisms that can be used in one or more process steps of certain embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to one or more of the following: purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria including but not limited to Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Rhodopseudomonas capsulata,
  • Rhodopseudomonas viridis Rhodopseudomonas sulfoviridis, Rhodopseudomonas blastica, Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, Rhodopseudomonas acidophila and other Rhodopseudomonas sp., Rhodospirillum rubrum, and other Rhodospirillum sp. ;
  • Rhodococcus opacus and other Rhodococcus sp. Rhizobium japonicum and other Rhizobium sp. ; Thiocapsa roseopersicina and other Thiocapsa sp. ; Pseudomonas hydrogenovora, Pseudomonas hydrogenothermophila, and other Pseudomonas sp. ; Hydro genomonas pantotropha, Hydro genomonas eutropha, Hydrogenomonas facilis, and other Hydrogenomonas sp. ; Hydrogenobacter thermophilus and other
  • Hydrogenobacter sp. Hydrogenovibrio marinus and other Hydrogenovibrio sp. ;
  • Scenedesmus obliquus and other Scenedesmus sp. Chlamydomonas reinhardii and other Chlamydomonas sp. , Ankistrodesmus sp. , Rhaphidium polymorphium and other
  • Rhaphidium sp. as well as a consortiums of microorganisms that include oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the different oxyhydrogen microorganisms that can be used in certain embodiments of the present invention may be native to a range environments including but not limited to hydrothermal vents, geothermal vents, hot springs, cold seeps, underground aquifers, salt lakes, saline formations, mines, acid mine drainage, mine tailings, oil wells, refinery wastewater, oil, gas, or hydrocarbon contaminated waters; coal seams, the deep sub-surface, waste water and sewage treatment plants, geothermal power plants, sulfatara fields, soils including but not limited to soils contaminated with hydrocarbons and/or located under or around oil or gas wells, oil refineries, oil pipelines, gasoline service stations. They may or may not be extremophiles including but not limited to thermophiles, hyperthermophiles, acidophiles, halophiles, and psychrophiles.
  • relatively long-chain chemical products can be produced.
  • the organic chemical product produced in some embodiments can include compounds with carbon chain lengths of at least C5, at least CIO, at least CI 5, at least C20, between about C5 and about C30, between about CIO and about C30, between about C15 and about C30, or between about C20 and about C30.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates the general process flow diagram for embodiments of the present invention that have a process step for the generation of electron donors (e.g., molecular hydrogen electron donors) suitable for supporting chemosynthesis from an energy input and raw inorganic chemical input; followed by recovery of chemical co- products from the electron donor generation step; delivery of generated electron donors along with oxygen electron acceptors, water, nutrients, and CO 2 from a point industrial flue gas source, into chemosynthetic reaction step or steps that make use of oxyhydrogen microorganisms to capture and fix carbon dioxide, creating chemical and biomass co- products through chemosynthetic reactions; followed by process steps for the recovery of both chemical and biomass products from the process stream; and recycling of unused nutrients and process water, as well as cell mass needed to maintain the microbial culture, back into the carbon-fixation reaction steps.
  • electron donors e.g., molecular hydrogen electron donors
  • the CO 2 containing flue gas is captured from a point source or emitter.
  • Electron donors e.g., 3 ⁇ 4 needed for chemosynthesis can be generated from input inorganic chemicals and energy.
  • the flue gas can be pumped through bioreactors containing oxyhydrogen microorganisms along with electron donors and acceptors needed to drive chemosynthesis and a medium suitable to support the microbial culture and carbon fixation through chemosynthesis.
  • the cell culture may be continuously flowed into and out of the bioreactors. After the cell culture leaves the bioreactors, the cell mass can be separated from the liquid medium.
  • Cell mass needed to replenish the cell culture population at a desirable (e.g., optimal) level can be recycled back into the bioreactor.
  • Surplus cell mass can be dried to form a dry biomass product which can be further post-processed into various chemical, fuel, or nutritional products.
  • extracellular chemical products of the chemosynthetic reaction can be removed from the process flow and recovered. Then, any undesirable waste products that might be present are removed. Following this, the liquid medium and any unused nutrients can be recycled back into the bioreactors.
  • thermochemical processes known in the art of chemical engineering that may optionally be powered by a variety carbon dioxide emission-free or low-carbon emission and/or renewable sources of power including wind, hydroelectric, nuclear, photovoltaics, or solar thermal.
  • Certain embodiments of the present invention use carbon dioxide emission-free or low-carbon emission and/or renewable sources of power in the production of electron donors including but not limited to one or more of the following: photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind power, hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, enhanced geothermal, ocean thermal, ocean wave power, tidal power.
  • oxyhydrogen microorganisms function as biocatalysts for the conversion of renewable energy and/or low or zero carbon emission energy into liquid hydrocarbon fuel, or high energy density organic compounds generally, with CO 2 captured from flue gases, or from the atmosphere, or ocean serving as a carbon source.
  • inventions of the present invention can provide renewable energy technologies with the capability of producing a transportation fuel having significantly higher energy density than if the renewable energy sources are used to produce hydrogen gas - which must be stored in relatively heavy storage systems (e.g. tanks or storage materials) - or if it is used to charge batteries, which have relatively low energy density. Additionally the liquid hydrocarbon fuel product of certain embodiments of the present invention may be more compatible with the current transportation infrastructure compared to battery or hydrogen energy storage options.
  • Electron donors produced in certain embodiments of the present invention using electrochemical and/or thermochemical processes known in the art of chemical engineering and/or generated from natural sources include, but are not limited to molecular hydrogen and/or valence or conduction electrons in solid state electrode materials and/or other reducing agents including but are not limited to one or more of the following: ammonia; ammonium; carbon monoxide; dithionite; elemental sulfur;
  • hydrocarbons metabisulfites; nitric oxide; nitrites; sulfates such as thiosulfates including but not limited to sodium thiosulfate (Na 2 S 2 0s) or calcium thiosulfate (CaS 2 0s); sulfides such as hydrogen sulfide; sulfites; thionate; thionite; transition metals or their sulfides, oxides, chalcogenides, halides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, sulfates, or carbonates, in soluble or solid phases.
  • thiosulfates including but not limited to sodium thiosulfate (Na 2 S 2 0s) or calcium thiosulfate (CaS 2 0s)
  • sulfides such as hydrogen sulfide; sulfites; thionate; thionite
  • Hydrogen electron donors are generated by methods known in to art of chemical and process engineering including but not limited to one or more of the following: through electrolysis of water by approaches including but not limited to using Proton Exchange Membranes (PEM), liquid electrolytes such as KOH, high-pressure electrolysis, high temperature electrolysis of steam (HTES); thermochemical splitting of water through methods including but not limited to the iron oxide cycle, cerium(IV) oxide-cerium(III) oxide cycle, zinc zinc-oxide cycle, sulfur-iodine cycle, copper-chlorine cycle, calcium-bromine-iron cycle, hybrid sulfur cycle; electrolysis of hydrogen sulfide; thermochemical and/or electrochemical splitting of hydrogen sulfide; other
  • electrochemical or thermochemical processes known to produce hydrogen with low- or no- carbon dioxide emissions including but not limited to: carbon capture and sequestration enabled methane reforming; carbon capture and sequestration enabled coal gasification; the Kvaerner-process and other processes generating a carbon-black product; carbon capture and sequestration enabled gasification or pyrolysis of biomass; and the half-cell reduction of H + to 3 ⁇ 4 accompanied by the half-cell oxidization of electron sources including but not limited to ferrous iron (Fe 2+ ) oxidized to ferric iron (Fe 3+ ) or the oxidation of sulfur compounds whereby the oxidized iron or sulfur can be recycled to back to a reduced state through additional chemical reaction with minerals including but not limited to metal sulfides, hydrogen sulfide, or hydrocarbons.
  • carbon capture and sequestration enabled methane reforming carbon capture and sequestration enabled coal gasification
  • the Kvaerner-process and other processes generating a carbon-black product carbon capture and sequestration enabled gasification or pyro
  • hydrogen electron donors are not necessarily generated with low- or no- carbon dioxide emissions, however the hydrogen is generated from waste or low value sources of energy using methods known in to art of chemical and process engineering including but not limited to gasification, pyrolysis, or steam-reforming of feedstock such as but not limited to municipal waste, black liquor, agricultural waste, wood waste, stranded natural gas, biogas, sour gas, methane hydrates, tires, sewage, manure, straw, and low value, highly lignocellulosic biomass in general.
  • feedstock such as but not limited to municipal waste, black liquor, agricultural waste, wood waste, stranded natural gas, biogas, sour gas, methane hydrates, tires, sewage, manure, straw, and low value, highly lignocellulosic biomass in general.
  • a chemical co-product formed in the generation of molecular hydrogen using a renewable and/or CO 2 emission-free energy input there can be a chemical co-product formed in the generation of molecular hydrogen using a renewable and/or CO 2 emission-free energy input.
  • oxygen can be a co-product of water splitting through processes including but not limited to electrolysis or thermochemical water splitting.
  • some of the oxygen co-product can be used in the oxyhydrogen carbon fixation step for the production of intracellular ATP through the oxyhydrogen reaction enzymatic ally linked to oxidative phosphorylation.
  • the oxygen produced by water- splitting in excess of what is required to maintain favorable (e.g., optimal) conditions for carbon fixation and organic compound production by the oxyhydrogen microorganisms can be processed into a form suitable for sale through process steps known in the art and science of commercial oxygen gas production.
  • hydrogen sulfide is the hydrogen source
  • sulfur or sulfuric acid can be a chemical co-product of molecular hydrogen production.
  • sulfuric acid is a co- product of hydrogen production, some of the sulfuric acid can be used in the hydrolysis of biomass in post-carbon fixation process steps.
  • excess sulfuric acid and/or sulfur that is co-produced can be processed into a form suitable for sale through process steps known in the art and science of commercial sulfuric acid and/or sulfur production.
  • Process heat can also be generated in the production of hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide.
  • process heat generated in hydrogen production is recovered and utilized elsewhere in the carbon capture and conversion process of certain embodiments of the present invention to improve overall energy efficiency.
  • a chemical and/or heat and/or electrical co-product can accompany the generation of molecular hydrogen for use as an electron donor in certain embodiments of the present invention.
  • the chemical and/or heat and/or electrical co-products of molecular hydrogen generation can be used to the extent possible elsewhere in the carbon capture and conversion process of certain embodiments of the present invention, for example, in order to improve efficiency
  • additional chemical co-product e.g., beyond what can be used in the carbon capture and conversion process of certain embodiments of the present invention
  • Excess heat or electrical energy co-product in the production of molecular hydrogen can be delivered for sale, for example, for use in another chemical and/or biological process through means known in the art and science heat exchange and transfer and electrical generation and transmission, including but not limited to the conversion of process heat to electrical power in a form that can be sold.
  • Certain embodiments of the present invention utilize electrochemical energy stored in solid-state valence or conduction electrons within an electrode or capacitor or related devices, alone or in combination with chemical electron donors and/or electron mediators to provide the oxyhydrogen microorganisms reducing equivalents for the carbon- fixation reactions by means of direct exposure of said electrode materials to the microbial culturing environment and/or immersion of said electrode materials within the microbial culture medium.
  • a feature of certain embodiments of the present invention regards the production, or recycling of electron donors generated from mineralogical origin that may also be used by certain oxyhydrogen microbes as a source of reducing equivalents in addition, or in lieu of hydrogen, including but not limited to electron donors generated from reduced S and Fe containing minerals.
  • the present invention in certain embodiments, can enable the use of a largely untapped source of energy - inorganic geochemical energy.
  • the generation of electron donor from natural mineralogical sources includes a preprocessing step in certain embodiments of the present invention which can include but is not limited to comminuting, crushing or grinding mineral ore to increase the surface area for leaching with equipment such as a ball mill and wetting the mineral ore to make a slurry.
  • a preprocessing step in certain embodiments of the present invention which can include but is not limited to comminuting, crushing or grinding mineral ore to increase the surface area for leaching with equipment such as a ball mill and wetting the mineral ore to make a slurry.
  • particle size is controlled so that the sulfide and/or other reducing agents present in the ore may be concentrated by methods known to the art including but not limited to: flotation methods such as dissolved air flotation or froth flotation using flotation columns or mechanical flotation cells; gravity separation; magnetic separation; heavy media separation; selective agglomeration; water separation; or fractional distillation.
  • the particulate matter in the leachate or concentrate may be separated by filtering (e.g. vacuum filtering), settling, or other well known techniques of solid/liquid separation, prior to introducing the electron donor containing solution to the chemoautotrophic culture environment.
  • filtering e.g. vacuum filtering
  • settling e.g. settling, or other well known techniques of solid/liquid separation
  • chemoautotrophs that is leached from the mineral ore may be removed prior to exposing the chemoautotrophs to the leachate.
  • the solid left after processing the mineral ore may be concentrated with a filter press, disposed of, retained for further processing, or sold depending upon the mineral ore used in the particular embodiment of the invention.
  • the electron donors in certain embodiments of the present invention may also be refined from pollutants or waste products including but not limited to one or more of the following: process gas; tail gas; enhanced oil recovery vent gas; biogas; acid mine drainage; landfill leachate; landfill gas; geo thermal gas; geo thermal sludge or brine; metal contaminants; gangue; tailings; sulfides; disulfides; mercaptans including but not limited to methyl and dimethyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan; carbonyl sulfide; carbon disulfide; alkanesulfonates; dialkyl sulfides; thiosulfate; thiofurans; thiocyanates;
  • isothiocyanates thioureas; thiols; thiophenols; thioethers; thiophene; dibenzothiophene; tetrathionate; dithionite; thionate; dialkyl disulfides; sulfones; sulfoxides; sulfolanes; sulfonic acid; dimethylsulfoniopropionate; sulfonic esters; hydrogen sulfide; sulfate esters; organic sulfur; sulfur dioxide and all other sour gases.
  • thermochemical and electrochemical processes include thermochemical reduction of sulfate reaction or TSR and the Muller-Kuhne reaction; methane reforming-like reactions utilizing metal oxides in place of water such as but not limited to iron oxide, calcium oxide, or magnesium oxide whereby the hydrocarbon is reacted to form solid carbonate with little or no emissions of carbon dioxide gas along with hydrogen electron donor product.
  • Examples of reactions between metal oxides and hydrocarbons to produce a hydrogen electron donor product and carbonates include but are not limited to:
  • the generated electron donors are oxidized in the chemosynthetic reaction step or steps by electron acceptors that include but are not limited to carbon dioxide, oxygen and/or one or more of the following: ferric iron or other transition metal ions, nitrates, nitrites, sulfates, or valence or conduction band holes in solid state electrode materials.
  • FIG. 1 The position of the chemosynthetic and/or oxyhydrogen reaction step or steps in the general process flow of certain embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 by Box 4 labeled "Bioreactor - Knallgas Microbes.”
  • one or more types of electron donor and one or more types of electron acceptor may be pumped or otherwise added to the reaction vessel as either a bolus addition, or periodically, or continuously to the nutrient medium containing oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the chemosynthetic reaction driven by the transfer of electrons from electron donor to electron acceptor can fix inorganic carbon dioxide into organic compounds and biomass.
  • electron mediators may be included in the nutrient medium to facilitate the delivery of reducing equivalents from electron donors to oxyhydrogen organisms in the presence of electron acceptors and inorganic carbon in order to kinetically enhance the chemosynthetic reaction step.
  • This aspect of the present invention can be used to enhance the transfer of reducing electrons to the oxyhydrogen microbes from poorly soluble electron donors such as but not limited to 3 ⁇ 4 gas or electrons in solid state electrode materials using electron mediators known in the art of electrical stimulation of microbial metabolism including but not limited to anthroquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), cobalt sepulchrate, cytochromes, formate, humic substances, iron, methyl-viologen, NAD+/NADH, neutral red (NR), phenazines, and quinones.
  • AQDS anthroquinone-2,6-disulfonate
  • cobalt sepulchrate cobalt sepulchrate
  • cytochromes formate
  • humic substances iron, methyl-viologen, NAD+/NADH, neutral red (NR), phenazines, and quinones.
  • the delivery of reducing equivalents from electron donors to the oxyhydrogen microorganisms for the chemosynthetic reaction or reactions can be kinetically and/or thermodynamically enhanced in certain embodiments through means including but not limited to: the introduction of hydrogen storage materials into the microbial culture environment that can double as a solid support media for microbial growth - bringing absorbed or adsorbed hydrogen electron donors into close proximity with the hydrogen- oxidizing chemoautotrophs and/or the introduction of electrode materials (e.g., graphite, graphite felt, activated carbon, carbon nanofibers, conductive polymers, steel, iron, copper, titanium, lead, tin, palladium, platinum, platinum-coated titanium, other platinum coated metals, transition metals, transition metal alloys, transition metal sulfides, oxides, chalcogenides, halides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, phosphates, sulfates, and/or carbonates) that can double as a solid growth support media and a source of
  • the culture broth used in the chemosynthetic steps of certain embodiments of the present invention may be an aqueous solution containing suitable minerals, salts, vitamins, cof actors, buffers, and other components needed for microbial growth, known to those skilled in the art [Bailey and Ollis, Biochemical Engineering Fundamentals, 2nd ed; pp 383-384 and 620-622; McGraw-Hill: New York (1986)]. These nutrients can be chosen to maximize carbon-fixation and promote the carbon flow through enzymatic pathways leading to desired organic compounds.
  • Alternative growth environments such as those used in the arts of solid state or non-aqueous fermentation may be used in certain embodiments.
  • broth, salt water, sea water and/or water from other natural bodies of water, or other non-potable sources of water may be used when tolerated by the oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the biochemical pathways may be controlled and optimized in certain embodiments of the present invention for the production of chemical products (e.g., targeted organic compounds) and/or biomass by maintaining specific growth conditions (e.g., levels of nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, sulfur, trace micronutrients such as inorganic ions, and if present any regulatory molecules that might not generally be considered a nutrient or energy source).
  • the broth may be maintained in aerobic, microaerobic, anoxic, anaerobic, or facultative conditions.
  • a facultative environment is considered to be one having aerobic upper layers and anaerobic lower layers caused by stratification of the water column.
  • the oxygen level is controlled in certain embodiments of the invention.
  • the oxygen level can be controlled, for example, to enhance the production of targeted organic compounds by the oxyhydrogen microorganisms through carbon-fixation.
  • One objective of controlling oxygen levels is to control (e.g., optimize) the intracellular Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) concentration through the cellular reduction of oxygen and production of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation.
  • ATP Adenosine Triphosphate
  • ATP levels are increased and/or optimized within the oxyhydrogen microorganisms by means including but not limited to one or more of the following: the cellular reduction of oxygen and/or another electron acceptor of sufficient oxidation strength for ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation; the direct introduction of ATP into the culture medium; and/or the direct introduction of chemical analogues of ATP into the culture medium.
  • the reduction of oxygen by hydrogen in the oxyhydrogen reaction is generally enzymatically linked to the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation in oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the oxyhydrogen reaction can act as a proxy for the light reaction in photosynthesis in generating both NADPH and ATP.
  • hydrogenase catalyzes the reduction of NAD to NADH by hydrogen (or, alternatively, in some photosynthetic organisms that are capable of carrying out the oxhydrogen reaction, a hydrogenase catalyzes the reduction of ferrodoxin by H 2 , which in turn reduces NADP to NADPH) [Chen, Gibbs, Plant Physiol. (1992) 100, 1361-1365].
  • NADH and/or NADPH can then be used as reducing agents for anabolic reactions, or to generate ATP by reducing oxygen through oxidative
  • biochemical pathways include but are not limited to the following: fatty acid synthesis; mevalonate pathway and terpenoid synthesis; butanol pathway and 1-butanol synthesis; acetolactate/alpha-ketovalerate pathway and 2-butanol synthesis; and the ethanol pathway.
  • a preferred oxygen level can be determined, in some embodiments of in the present invention: too low an oxygen level can reduce the intracellular ATP in oxyhydrogen microorganisms below a desired level, while too high an oxygen level can decrease the NADH (or NADPH) to NAD (or NADP) ratio below a desired level.
  • the application of the oxyhydrogen reaction for the production of ATP and NADH and/or NADPH used for carbon fixation and synthesis of organic compounds in certain embodiments of the present invention can provide advantages over alternative approaches using, for example, anaerobic biochemical pathways for carbon-fixation for such as Wood-Ljungdahl or methanogenic pathways. Carbon-fixation through the Wood-Ljungdahl or methanogenic pathways generally produces CI or C2 organic compounds and it can be difficult to produce longer than C4 compounds through these pathways.
  • the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway can produce acetic acid, ethanol, butyric acid, and butanol in nature, but butyric acid and butanol are generally minor products of 3 ⁇ 4 and CO 2 gas fermentation, and chain lengths longer than C4 do not typically arise [Lynd, Zeikus, J. of Bacteriology (1983) 1415-1423; Eichler, Schink, Archives of Microbiology (1984) 140, 147-152].
  • the acetogenic pathways to acetic acid and butyric acid produce net ATP, while the solventogenic pathways to ethanol and butanol do not [Papoutsakis, Biotechnology & Bioengineering (1984) 26, 174-187; Heise, Muller, Gottschalk, J.
  • fatty acid synthesis involves net ATP consumption.
  • Palmitic acid C16
  • Acetyl-CoA 8Acetyl-CoA + 7 ATP + H20 + 14NADPH + 14H + -> Palmitic acid + 8CoA +
  • the highest energy density fuel that can be practically reached naturally through the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway with inorganic carbon input is generally ethanol at 30 MJ/kg, although butanol at 36.1 MJ/kg might be possible.
  • Production of diesel fuels (46.2 MJ/kg) or JP-8 aviation fuel (43.15 MJ/kg) can generally be difficult and is generally less efficient utilizing anaerobic pathways such as Wood-Ljungdahl due to the increased amount of H 2 that needs to be consumed in strictly anaerobic pathways per ATP produced, which is needed for fatty acid synthesis.
  • these high density, infrastructure compatible liquid fuels can be readily produced through fatty synthesis pathways driven by ATP and NADH or NADPH generated by the oxyhydrogen reaction.
  • Biomass lipid content and lipid biosynthetic pathway efficiency are two factors that can affect the overall efficiency of certain embodiments of the present invention for converting CO 2 and other CI compounds to longer chain compounds (e.g.,
  • the biomass lipid content can determine the proportion of carbon and reducing equivalents directed towards the synthesis of fuel products, as opposed to other components of biomass.
  • the lipid content can determine the amount of energy input from the reducing equivalents that can be captured in final fuel product.
  • the metabolic pathway efficiency can determine the amount of reducing equivalents that must be consumed in converting CO 2 and hydrogen to lipid along the lipid biosynthetic pathway.
  • Many oxyhydrogen microorganisms include species rich in lipid content and containing efficient pathways from H 2 and C0 2 to lipid. Certain embodiments of the present invention use species with high lipid contents such as but not limited to Rhodococcus opacus which can have a lipid content of over 70% [Gouda, M.
  • Rhodococcus opacus strain PD630 as a new source of high- value single-cell oil? Isolation and characterization of triacylglycerols and other storage lipids. Microbiology 146 ( Pt 5), 1143-1149 (2000).] and/or species utilizing highly efficiency metabolic pathways such as but not limited to the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle [i.e. reverse citric acid cycle] to fix carbon [Miura, A., Kameya, M., Arai, H., Ishii, M. & Igarashi, Y. A soluble NADH- dependent fumarate reductase in the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle of Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6.
  • reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle i.e. reverse citric acid cycle
  • the source of inorganic carbon used in the chemosynthetic reaction process steps of certain embodiments of the present invention includes but is not limited to one or more of the following: a carbon dioxide-containing gas stream that may be pure or a mixture; liquefied CO 2 ; dry ice; dissolved carbon dioxide, carbonate ion, or bicarbonate ion in solutions including aqueous solutions such as sea water; inorganic carbon in a solid form such as a carbonate or bicarbonate minerals.
  • Carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon can be introduced to the nutrient medium contained in reaction vessels either as a bolus addition, periodically, or continuously at the steps in the process where carbon- fixation occurs.
  • Organic compounds containing only one carbon atom that can be used in the synthetic reaction process steps of certain embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to one or more of the following: carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions generated from various gasified or steam-reformed fixed carbon feedstocks.
  • organic compounds containing only one carbon atom and/or electron donors are generated through the gasification and/or pyrolysis of biomass and/or other organic matter (e.g., biomass and/or other organic matter from waste or low value sources), and provided as a syngas to the culture of oxyhydrogen microorganism, where the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in the syngas may or may not be adjusted through means such as the water gas shift reaction, prior to the syngas being delivered to the microbial culture.
  • organic compounds containing only one carbon atom and/or electron donors are generated through methane steam reforming from methane or natural gas (e.g., stranded natural gas, or natural gas that would be otherwise flared or released to the atmosphere), or biogas, or landfill gas, and provided as a syngas to the culture of oxyhydrogen microorganism, where the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in the syngas may or may not be adjusted through means such as the water gas shift reaction, prior to the syngas being delivered to the microbial culture.
  • methane or natural gas e.g., stranded natural gas, or natural gas that would be otherwise flared or released to the atmosphere
  • biogas e.g., stranded natural gas, or natural gas that would be otherwise flared or released to the atmosphere
  • landfill gas e.g., stranded natural gas, or natural gas that would be otherwise flared or released to the atmosphere
  • the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in the syngas may or may not be adjusted through means such as the water
  • carbon dioxide containing flue gases are captured from the smoke stack at temperature, pressure, and gas composition characteristic of the untreated exhaust, and directed with minimal modification into the reaction vessels where carbon-fixation occurs.
  • modification of the flue gas upon entering the reaction vessels can be limited to the compression needed to pump the gas through the reactor system and/or the heat exchange needed to lower the gas temperature to one suitable for the microorganisms.
  • Oxyhydrogen microorganisms generally have an advantage over strict anaerobic acetogenic or methanogenic microorganisms for carbon capture applications due to the higher oxygen tolerance of oxyhydrogen microorganisms. Since industrial flue gas is one intended source of CO 2 for certain embodiments of the present invention, the relatively high oxygen tolerance of oxyhydrogen microorganisms, as compared with obligately anaerobic methanogens or acetogens, can allow the (3 ⁇ 4 content of 2-6% found in typical fluegas to be tolerated.
  • the scrubbed flue gas (which generally primarily includes inert gases such as nitrogen), can be released into the atmosphere.
  • Gases in addition to carbon dioxide that are dissolved into solution and fed to the culture broth or dissolved directly into the culture broth in certain embodiments of the present invention include gaseous electron donors (e.g., hydrogen gas), but in certain embodiments of the present invention, may include other electron donors such as but not limited to carbon monoxide and other constituents of syngas, hydrogen sulfide, and/or other sour gases.
  • gaseous electron donors e.g., hydrogen gas
  • other electron donors such as but not limited to carbon monoxide and other constituents of syngas, hydrogen sulfide, and/or other sour gases.
  • a controlled amount of oxygen can also be maintained in the culture broth of some embodiments of the present invention, and in certain embodiments, oxygen will be actively dissolved into solution fed to the culture broth and/or directly dissolved into the culture broth.
  • the dissolution of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and/or electron donor gases such as but not limited to hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide into solution can be achieved in some embodiments of the present invention using a system of compressors, flowmeters, and/or flow valves known to one skilled in the art of bioreactor scale microbial culturing, which can be fed into one of more of the following commonly used systems for pumping gas into solution: sparging equipment; diffusers including but not limited to dome, tubular, disc, or doughnut geometries; coarse or fine bubble aerators; and/or venturi equipment.
  • surface aeration may also be performed using paddle aerators and the like.
  • gas dissolution is enhanced by mechanical mixing with an impeller and/or turbine.
  • hydraulic shear devices can be used to reduce bubble size.
  • oxygen bubbles are injected into the broth at a desirable (e.g., the optimal) diameter for mixing and oxygen transfer. This has been found to be 2 mm for certain embodiments [Environment Research Journal May/June 1999 pgs. 307-315].
  • a process of shearing the oxygen bubbles is used to achieve this bubble diameter as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,332,077.
  • bubbles have an average diameter of no larger than 7.5 mm and slugging is avoided.
  • hydrogen gas is fed to the chemoautotrophic culture vessel by bubbling it through the culture medium and/or by diffusing it through a membrane that contacts the culture medium and is impermeable to the culture medium.
  • the latter method is considered safer for many embodiments, and can be preferred since hydrogen accumulating in the gas phase can create explosive conditions (the range of explosive hydrogen
  • the membrane is coated with a biofilm of the oxyhydrogen microorganisms such that the hydrogen must diffuse through the microorganism after passage through the membrane.
  • Additional chemicals required or useful for the maintenance and growth of oxyhydrogen microorganisms as known in the art can be added to the culture broth of certain embodiments of the present invention.
  • These chemicals may include but are not limited to: nitrogen sources such as ammonia, ammonium (e.g. ammonium chloride (NH 4 CI), ammonium sulfate ((NH 4 ) 2 S0 4 )), nitrate (e.g. potassium nitrate (KNO 3 )), urea or an organic nitrogen source; phosphate (e.g.
  • disodium phosphate Na 2 HP0 4
  • potassium phosphate KH 2 PO 4
  • phosphoric acid H 3 PO 4
  • potassium dithiophosphate K 3 PS 2 O 2
  • potassium orthophosphate K 3 PO 4
  • dipotassium phosphate K 2 HPO 4
  • sulfate yeast extract
  • chelated iron potassium (e.g. potassium phosphate (KH 2 PO 4 ) , potassium nitrate (KNO 3 ), potassium iodide (KI), potassium bromide (KBr)); and other inorganic salts, minerals, and trace nutrients (e.g.
  • the concentrations of nutrient chemicals are maintained at favorable levels (e.g., as close as possible to their respective optimal levels) for enhanced (e.g., maximum) carbon uptake and fixation and/or production of organic compounds, which varies depending upon the oxyhydrogen species utilized but is known or determinable without undue
  • the waste product levels, pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide, gas and liquid flow rates, agitation rate, and pressure in the microbial culture environment are controlled in certain embodiments of the present invention.
  • the operating parameters affecting carbon-fixation can be monitored with sensors (e.g. using a dissolved oxygen probe and/or an oxidation- reduction probe to gauge electron donor/acceptor concentrations) and can be controlled either manually or automatically based upon feedback from sensors through the use of equipment including but not limited to actuating valves, pumps, and agitators.
  • the temperature of the incoming broth as well as incoming gases can be regulated by means such as but not limited to heat exchangers.
  • Oxyhydrogen microorganisms can carry out carbon-fixation reactions throughout the volume of the reaction vessel, which provides an advantage over other approaches including those that employ photosynthetic organisms, which are surface area limited due to the light requirements of
  • agitation can further enhance this advantage by distributing the microorganisms, nutrients, optimal growth environment, and/or CO 2 as widely and evenly as possible throughout the reactor volume so that production is enhanced (e.g., the reactor volume in which carbon-fixation reactions occur at an optimal rate is maximized).
  • Agitation of the culture broth in certain embodiments of the present invention can be accomplished by equipment including but not limited to: recirculation of broth from the bottom of the container to the top via a recirculation conduit; sparging with carbon dioxide, electron donor gas (e.g. 3 ⁇ 4), oxygen, and/or air; and/or a mechanical mixer such as but not limited to an impeller (100-1000 rpm) or turbine.
  • the chemical environment, oxyhydrogen microorganisms, electron donors, electron acceptors, oxygen, pH, and/or temperature levels are varied either spatially and/or temporally over a series of bioreactors in fluid communication, such that a number of different carbon-fixation reactions and/or biochemical pathways to organic compounds are carried out sequentially or in parallel.
  • the nutrient medium containing oxyhydrogen microorganisms can be removed from the bioreactors in certain embodiments of the present invention partially or completely, periodically or continuously, and can be replaced with fresh cell-free medium, for example, to maintain the cell culture in an exponential growth phase, to maintain the cell culture in a growth phase (exponential or stationary) with enhanced (e.g., optimal) carbon-fixation rates, to replenish the depleted nutrients in the growth medium, and/or remove inhibitory waste products.
  • the high growth rate attainable by oxyhydrogen species can allow them to match or surpass the highest rates of carbon fixation and/or biomass production per standing unit biomass that can be achieved by photosynthetic microbes. Consequently, in certain embodiments, surplus biomass can be produced. Surplus growth of cell mass can be removed from the system to produce a biomass product. In some embodiments, surplus growth of cell mass can be removed from the system in order to maintain a desirable (e.g., an optimal) microbial population and cell density in the microbial culture for continued high carbon capture and fixation rates.
  • Another advantage of certain embodiments of the present invention relates to the vessels used to contain the carbon-fixation reaction environment and culture in the carbon capture and fixation process.
  • microorganisms for carbon dioxide capture and fixation include those that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art of large scale microbial culturing.
  • Such culture vessels which may be of natural or artificial origin, include but are not limited to: airlift reactors; biological scrubber columns; bioreactors; bubble columns; caverns; caves; cisterns; continuous stirred tank reactors; counter-current, upflow, expanded-bed reactors;
  • digesters and in particular digester systems such as known in the prior arts of sewage and waste water treatment or bioremediation; filters including but not limited to trickling filters, rotating biological contactor filters, rotating discs, soil filters; fluidized bed reactors; gas lift fermenters; immobilized cell reactors; lagoons; membrane biofilm reactors; microbial fuel cells; mine shafts; pachuca tanks; packed-bed reactors; plug-flow reactors; ponds; pools; quarries; reservoirs; static mixers; tanks; towers; trickle bed reactors; vats; vertical shaft bioreactors; and wells.
  • filters including but not limited to trickling filters, rotating biological contactor filters, rotating discs, soil filters; fluidized bed reactors; gas lift fermenters; immobilized cell reactors; lagoons; membrane biofilm reactors; microbial fuel cells; mine shafts; pachuca tanks; packed-bed reactors; plug-flow reactors; ponds; pools; quarries; reservoirs; static mixers; tanks; towers; trickle bed reactors
  • the vessel base, siding, walls, lining, and/or top can be constructed out of one or more materials including but not limited to bitumen, cement, ceramics, clay, concrete, epoxy, fiberglass, glass, macadam, plastics, sand, sealant, soil, steels or other metals and their alloys, stone, tar, wood, and any combination thereof.
  • corrosion resistant materials can be used to line the interior of the container contacting the growth medium.
  • oxyhydrogen microorganisms do not require sunlight in order to fix CO 2 , they can be used in carbon capture and fixation processes that avoid many of the shortcomings that can be associated with photosynthetically based carbon capture and conversion technologies. For example, the maintenance of chemosynthesis does not require shallow, wide ponds, nor bioreactors with high surface area to volume ratios and special features like solar collectors or transparent materials.
  • a technology such as certain embodiments of the present invention using oxyhydrogen microbes does not have the diurnal, geographical, meteorological, or seasonal constraints typically associated with photosynthetically based systems.
  • Certain embodiments of the present invention minimize material costs by using chemosynthetic vessel geometries having a low surface area to volume ratio, such as but not limited to cubic, cylindrical shapes with medium aspect ratio, ellipsoidal or "egg- shaped", hemispherical, or spherical shapes, unless material costs are superseded by other design considerations (e.g. land footprint size).
  • the ability to use compact reactor geometries can arise from the absence of a light requirement for chemosynthetic reactions, in contrast to photosynthetic technologies where the surface area to volume ratio must be large to provide sufficient light exposure.
  • the oxyhydrogen microorganisms' lack of dependence on light also can allow plant designs with a much smaller footprint than those traditionally associated with photosynthetic approaches.
  • a long vertical shaft bioreactor system can be used for chemosynthetic carbon capture.
  • a bioreactor of the long vertical shaft type is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,754, 5,645,726, 5,650,070, and 7,332,077.
  • certain embodiments of the present invention minimize vessel surfaces across which high losses of water, nutrients, and/or heat occur, and/or the introduction of invasive predators into the reactor.
  • the ability to minimize such surfaces can arise from the lack of light requirements for chemosynthesis.
  • Photosynthetic based technologies generally are not able to minimize such surfaces since surfaces across which high losses of water, nutrients, and/or heat occur, as well as losses due to predation are generally the same surfaces across which the light energy necessary for photosynthesis is transmitted.
  • the culture vessels of the present invention can, in some embodiments, use reactor designs known to those of ordinary skill in the art of large scale microbial culture to maintain an aerobic, microaerobic, anoxic, anaerobic, or facultative environment depending upon the embodiment of the present invention.
  • reactor designs known to those of ordinary skill in the art of large scale microbial culture to maintain an aerobic, microaerobic, anoxic, anaerobic, or facultative environment depending upon the embodiment of the present invention.
  • tanks are arranged in a sequence, with serial forward fluid communication, where certain tanks are maintained in aerobic conditions and others are maintained in anaerobic conditions, in order to perform multiple chemosynthetic, and in certain embodiments, heterotrophic, processing steps on the carbon dioxide waste stream.
  • microorganisms are immobilized within their growth environment. Immobilization of the microorganisms can be accomplished using any media known in the art of microbial culturing to support colonization by microorganisms including but not limited to growing the microorganisms on a matrix, mesh, or membrane made from any of a wide range of natural and synthetic materials and polymers including but not limited to one or more of the following: glass wool, clay, concrete, wood fiber, inorganic oxides such as Zr(3 ⁇ 4, Sb2C>3, or AI2O 3 , the organic polymer polysulfone, or open-pore polyurethane foam having high specific surface area.
  • any media known in the art of microbial culturing to support colonization by microorganisms including but not limited to growing the microorganisms on a matrix, mesh, or membrane made from any of a wide range of natural and synthetic materials and polymers including but not limited to one or more of the following: glass wool, clay, concrete, wood fiber, inorganic oxides such as
  • microorganisms in certain embodiments of the present invention may also be grown on the surfaces of unattached objects distributed throughout the growth container as are known in the art of microbial culturing that include but are not limited to one or more of the following: beads; sand; silicates;
  • the materials used in the microbial support media may include hydrogen storage and/or electrode materials in order to enhance the transfer of reducing equivalents to the oxyhydrogen microorganisms.
  • the electrode materials that can be used include but are not limited to one or more of the following: graphite, activated carbon, carbon nanofibers, conductive polymers, steel, iron, copper, titanium, lead, tin, palladium, platinum, transition metals, transition metal alloys, transition metal sulfides, oxides, chalcogenides, halides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, phosphates, sulfates, or carbonates.
  • the hydrogen storage materials that may be used in this application include but are not limited to titanium, graphite, activated carbon, carbon nanofibers, iron, copper, lead, tin, metal hydrides including but not limited to TiFeI3 ⁇ 4, Ti3 ⁇ 4, V3 ⁇ 4, Zr3 ⁇ 4, NiH, Nb3 ⁇ 4, PdH, and polymers known in the art of hydrogen storage including but not limited to Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF), and nanoporous polymeric materials.
  • the hydrogen storage material does not react strongly with water or have a strong or rapid effect on the pH of the culture medium.
  • Inoculation of the oxyhydrogen culture into the culture vessel can be performed by methods including but not limited to transfer of culture from an existing oxyhydrogen culture inhabiting another carbon capture and fixation system of certain embodiments of the present invention and/or incubation from a seed stock raised in an incubator.
  • the seed stock of oxyhydrogen strains can be transported and stored in forms including but not limited to a powder, a liquid, a frozen form, or a freeze-dried form as well as any other suitable form, which may be readily recognized by one skilled in the art.
  • growth and establishment of cultures can be performed in progressively larger intermediate scale containers prior to inoculation of the full scale vessel.
  • the position of the process step or steps for the separation of cell mass from the process stream in the general process flow of certain embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 by Box 5, labeled "Cell Separation".
  • Separation of cell mass from liquid suspension can be performed by methods known in the art of microbial culturing [Examples of cell mass harvesting techniques are given in International Patent Application No. WO08/00558, published Jan. 8, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,722; U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,886 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,111. ] including but not limited to one or more of the following: centrifugation; flocculation; flotation;
  • the cell mass is immobilized on a matrix, it can be harvested by methods including but not limited to gravity sedimentation or filtration, and separated from the growth substrate by liquid shear forces.
  • an excess of cell mass if an excess of cell mass has been removed from the culture, it can be recycled back into the cell culture as indicated by the process arrow labeled "Recycled Cell Mass” in FIG 1., along with fresh broth such that sufficient biomass is retained in the chemosynthetic reaction step or steps. This can allow for continued enhanced (e.g., optimal) autotrophic carbon-fixation and production of organic compounds.
  • the cell mass recovered by the harvesting system can be recycled back into the culture vessel, for example, using an airlift or geyser pump.
  • the cell mass recycled back into the culture vessel is not exposed to flocculating agents, unless those agents are non-toxic to the microorganisms.
  • the microbial culture and carbon- fixation reaction is maintained using continuous influx and removal of nutrient medium and/or biomass, in steady state where the cell population and environmental parameters (e.g. cell density, chemical concentrations) are targeted at a constant (e.g., optimal) level over time.
  • Cell densities can be monitored in certain embodiments of the present invention by direct sampling, by a correlation of optical density to cell density, and/or with a particle size analyzer.
  • the hydraulic and biomass retention times can be decoupled so as to allow independent control of both the broth chemistry and the cell density. Dilution rates can be kept high enough so that the hydraulic retention time is relatively low compared to the biomass retention time, resulting in a highly replenished broth for cell growth. Dilution rates can be set at an optimal trade-off between culture broth replenishment, and increased process costs from pumping, increased inputs, and other demands that rise with dilution rates.
  • the surplus microbial cells in certain embodiments of the invention can be broken open following the cell recycling step using, for example, methods including but not limited to ball milling, cavitation pressure, sonication, or mechanical shearing.
  • the harvested biomass in some embodiments can be dried in the process step or steps of Box 7, labeled "Dryer” in the general process flow of certain embodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1.
  • Surplus biomass drying can be performed in certain embodiments of the present invention using technologies including but not limited to centrifugation, drum drying, evaporation, freeze drying, heating, spray drying, vacuum drying, and/or vacuum filtration.
  • Heat waste from the industrial source of flue gas can be used in drying the biomass, in certain embodiments.
  • the chemosynthetic oxidation of electron donors is generally exothermic and generally produces waste heat.
  • waste heat can be used in drying the biomass.
  • the biomass is further processed following drying to aid the production of biofuels or other useful chemicals through the separation of the lipid content or other targeted biochemicals from the microbial biomass.
  • the separation of the lipids can be performed by using nonpolar solvents to extract the lipids such as, but not limited to, hexane, cyclohexane, ethyl ether, alcohol (isopropanol, ethanol, etc.), tributyl phosphate, supercritical carbon dioxide, trioctylphosphine oxide, secondary and tertiary amines, or propane.
  • Other useful biochemicals can be extracted using solvents including but not limited to: chloroform, acetone, ethyl acetate, and tetrachloroethylene.
  • the extracted lipid content of the biomass can be processed using methods known in the art and science of biomass refining including but not limited to one or more of the following - catalytic cracking and reforming; decarboxylation; hydrotreatment; isomerization - to produce petroleum and petrochemical replacements, including but not limited to one or more of the following: JP-8 jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, and other alkanes, olefins and aromatics.
  • the extracted lipid content of the biomass can be converted to ester-based fuels, such as biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester or fatty acid ethyl ester), through processes known in the art and science of biomass refining including but not limited to transesterification and esterification.
  • the broth left over following the removal of cell mass can be pumped to a system for removal of the chemical products of chemosynthesis and/or spent nutrients which are recycled or recovered to the extent possible and/or disposed of.
  • FIG. 1 The position of the process step or steps for the recovery of chemical products from the process stream in the general process flow of certain embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 by Box 8, labeled "Separation of chemical co- products.”
  • Recovery and/or recycling of chemosynthetic chemical products and/or spent nutrients from the aqueous broth solution can be accomplished in certain embodiments of the present invention using equipment and techniques known in the art of process engineering, and targeted towards the chemical products of particular embodiments of the present invention, including but not limited to: solvent extraction; water extraction; distillation; fractional distillation; cementation; chemical precipitation; alkaline solution absorption; absorption or adsorption on activated carbon, ion-exchange resin or molecular sieve; modification of the solution pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential, evaporators, fractional crystallizers, solid/liquid separators, nanofiltration, and all combinations thereof.
  • free fatty acids, lipids, or other medium or long chain organic compounds appropriate for refinement to biofuel products that have been produced through chemosynthesis can be recovered from the process stream at the step at Box 8 in FIG. 1.
  • These free organic molecules can be released into the process stream solution from the oxyhydrogen microorganisms through means including but not limited to cellular excretion or secretion or cell lysis.
  • the recovered organic compounds are processed using methods known in the art and science of biomass refining including but not limited to one or more of the following: catalytic cracking and reforming; decarboxylation; hydrotreatment; isomerization.
  • Such processes can be used to produce petroleum and petrochemical replacements, including but not limited to one or more of the following: JP-8 jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, and other alkanes, olefins and aromatics.
  • Recovered fatty acids can be converted to ester-based fuels, such as biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester or fatty acid ethyl ester), through processes known in the art and science of biomass refining including but not limited to transesterification and esterification.
  • the removal of the waste products is performed as indicated by Box 9, labeled "Waste removal” in FIG. 1.
  • the remaining broth can be returned to the culture vessel along with replacement water and/or nutrients.
  • a solution of oxidized metal cations can remain following the chemosynthetic reaction steps.
  • a solution rich in dissolved metal cations can also result from a particularly dirty flue gas input to the process such as from a coal fired plant.
  • the process stream can be stripped of metal cations by methods including but not limited to: cementation on scrap iron, steel wool, copper or zinc dust; chemical precipitation as a sulfide or hydroxide precipitate; electro winning to plate a specific metal; absorption on activated carbon or an ion-exchange resin, modification of the solution pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential, solvent extraction.
  • the recovered metals can be sold for an additional stream of revenue.
  • the chemicals that are used in processes for the recovery of chemical products, the recycling of nutrients and water, and the removal of waste have low toxicity for humans, and if exposed to the process stream that is recycled back into the growth container, low toxicity for the oxyhydrogen microorganisms being used.
  • the pH of the microbial culture is controlled.
  • a neutralization step can be performed prior to recycling the broth back into the culture vessel in order to maintain the pH within an optimal range for microbial maintenance and growth.
  • Neutralization of acid in the broth can be accomplished by the addition of bases including but not limited to: limestone, lime, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, caustic potash, magnesium oxide, iron oxide.
  • the base is produced from a carbon dioxide emission-free source such as naturally occurring basic minerals including but not limited to calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, iron ore, olivine containing a metal oxide, serpentine containing a metal oxide, ultramafic deposits containing metal oxides, and underground basic saline aquifers. If limestone is used for neutralization, then carbon dioxide will generally be released, which can be directed back into the growth container for uptake by chemosynthesis and/or sequestered in some other way, rather than released into the atmosphere.
  • a carbon dioxide emission-free source such as naturally occurring basic minerals including but not limited to calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, iron ore, olivine containing a metal oxide, serpentine containing a metal oxide, ultramafic deposits containing metal oxides, and underground basic saline aquifers. If limestone is used for neutralization, then carbon dioxide will generally be released, which can be directed back into the growth container for uptake by chemosynthesis and/or sequestered in some other way, rather than
  • An additional feature of certain embodiments of the present invention relates to the uses of organic compounds and/or biomass produced through the chemosynthetic process step or steps of certain embodiments of the present invention.
  • Uses of the organic compounds and/or biomass produced include but are not limited to: the production of liquid fuels including but not limited to JP-8 jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, octane, biodiesel, butanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, propane, alkanes, olefins, aromatics, fatty alcohols, fatty acid esters, alcohols; the production of organic chemicals including but not limited to 1,3-propanediol, 1,3-butadiene, 1,4-butanediol, 3- hydroxypropionate, 7-ADCA/cephalosporin, ⁇ -caprolactone, ⁇ -valerolactone, acrylate, acrylic acid, adipic acid, ascorbate, aspartate, ascorbic acid, aspartic
  • transesterification, or microbial syngas conversions as a biomass fuel for combustion in particular as a fuel to be co-fired with fossil fuels; as sources of pharmaceutical, medicinal or nutritional substances; as a carbon source for large scale fermentations to produce various chemicals including but not limited to commercial enzymes, antibiotics, amino acids, vitamins, bioplastics, glycerol, or 1,3-propanediol; as a nutrient source for the growth of other microbes or organisms; as feed for animals including but not limited to cattle, sheep, chickens, pigs, or fish; as feed stock for methane or biogas production; as fertilizer; soil additives and soil stabilizers.
  • An additional feature of certain embodiments of the present invention relates to the optimization of oxyhydrogen microorganisms for carbon dioxide capture, carbon fixation into organic compounds, and the production of other valuable chemical co- products.
  • This optimization can occur through methods known in the art of artificial breeding including but not limited to accelerated mutagenesis (e.g. using ultraviolet light or chemical treatments), genetic engineering or modification, hybridization, synthetic biology or traditional selective breeding.
  • the community can be enriched with desirable oxyhydrogen microorganisms using methods known in the art of microbiology through growth in the presence of targeted electron donors including but not limited to hydrogen, acceptors including but not limited to oxygen, and environmental conditions.
  • An additional feature of certain embodiments of the present invention relates to modifying biochemical pathways in oxyhydrogen microorganisms for the production of targeted organic compounds. This modification can be accomplished by manipulating the growth environment and/or through methods known in the art of artificial breeding including but not limited to accelerated mutagenesis (e.g. using ultraviolet light or chemical treatments), genetic engineering or modification, hybridization, synthetic biology or traditional selective breeding.
  • accelerated mutagenesis e.g. using ultraviolet light or chemical treatments
  • genetic engineering or modification e.g. using ultraviolet light or chemical treatments
  • hybridization e.g. using synthetic biology or traditional selective breeding.
  • the organic compounds produced through the modification include but are not limited to one or more of the following: biofuels including but not limited to JP-8 jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, biodiesel, butanol, ethanol, long chain hydrocarbons, lipids, fatty acids, pseudovegetable oil, and methane produced from biological reactions in vivo; or organic compounds and/or biomass optimized as a feedstock for biofuel and/or liquid fuel production through chemical post-processing. These forms of fuel can be used as renewable/alternate sources of energy with low greenhouse gas emissions.
  • biofuels including but not limited to JP-8 jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, biodiesel, butanol, ethanol, long chain hydrocarbons, lipids, fatty acids, pseudovegetable oil, and methane produced from biological reactions in vivo
  • organic compounds and/or biomass optimized as a feedstock for biofuel and/or liquid fuel production through chemical post-processing can be used as renewable/alternate sources of energy with low greenhouse gas emissions.
  • FIG. 2 includes an exemplary process flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the present invention for the capture of C0 2 by oxyhydrogen microorganisms and the production of lipid rich biomass, which is converted to JP-8 jet fuel.
  • a carbon dioxide-rich flue gas is captured from an emission source such as a power plant, refinery, or cement producer.
  • the flue gas can then be compressed and pumped into cylindrical anaerobic digesters containing one or more oxyhydrogen microorganisms such as but not limited to: purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria including but not limited to Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, Rhodopseudomonas viridis, Rhodopseudomonas sulfoviridis,
  • Rhodopseudomonas capsulata can be used as the oxyhydrogen microorganism, and, in some cases, a doubling time of 6 hours for chemoautotrophic growth on hydrogen can be achieved. See, for example, Madigan, Gest, J. Bacteriology (1979) 524-530, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the microbial doubling time can be less than 6 hours, or shorter.
  • the dry biomass concentration can be at least about 3 g/1, at least about 4 g/1, or at least 5 g/1 at steady state.
  • the biomass lipid content in the oxyhydrogen microorganism can be at least about 10%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 35%, or at least about 40%.
  • Rhodopseudomonas palustris can be used as the oxyhydrogen microorganism. See, for example, Carlozzi, Pintucci, Piccardi, Buccioni, Minieri, Lambardi, Biotechnol. Lett. , (2009) DOI 10.1007/s 10529-009-0183-2, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the biomass lipid content of the oxyhydrogen microorganisms is at least 40%; there is a steady state bioreactor cell density of at least 5 g/liter in a continuous process; the microbial doubling time is at most 6 hours; the process achieves at least a 40% energy efficiency in converting hydrogen into biomass; and/or at least 60% of the biomass energy content is stored as lipid (which corresponds to about 40% biomass lipid content by weight).
  • hydrogen electron donor and oxygen and carbon dioxide electron acceptors are added continuously to the growth broth along with other nutrients required for chemosynthesis and culture maintenance and growth that are pumped into the digester.
  • the hydrogen source is a carbon dioxide emission-free process.
  • Exemplary carbon dioxide emission-free processes include, for example, electrolytic or thermochemical processes powered by energy technologies including but not limited to photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind power, hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, enhanced geothermal, ocean thermal, ocean wave power, tidal power.
  • oxygen serves as an electron acceptor in the chemosynthetic reaction for the intracellular production of ATP through the oxyhydrogen reaction linked to oxidative phosphorylation.
  • the oxygen can originate from the flue gas, it can be generated from the water-splitting reaction used to produce the hydrogen, and/or it can be taken from air.
  • carbon dioxide from the flue gas serves as an electron acceptor for the synthesis of organic compounds through biochemical pathways utilizing the ATP produced through the oxyhydrogen reaction and NADH and/or NADPH produced from the intracellular enzymatically catalyzed reduction of NAD + or NADP + by 3 ⁇ 4.
  • the culture broth can be continuously removed from the digesters and flowed through membrane filters to separate the cell mass from the broth. The cell mass can then be recycled back into the digesters and/or pumped to post-processing where lipid extraction is performed according to methods known to those skilled in the art.
  • the lipids can then be converted to JP-8 jet fuel using methods known to those skilled in the art of biomass refining (see, for example, U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Biomass Program, "National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap", May 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
  • Cell-free broth which has passed through the cell mass removing filters can then be subjected to any necessary additional waste removal treatments which depends on the source of flue gas. The remaining water and nutrients can then be pumped back into the digesters.
  • Rhodopseudomonas species have extremely versatile metabolisms, making them capable of photoautotrophic, photohetero trophic, heterotrophic, as well as chemoautotrophic growth and the ability to live in both aerobic and anaerobic environments [Madigan, Gest, J. Bacteriology (1979) 524-530].
  • the heterotrophic capability of Rhodopseudomonas sp. is exploited to further improve the efficiency of energy and carbon conversion to lipid product.
  • the non-lipid biomass remainder following lipid extraction is composed of primarily protein and carbohydrate.
  • some of the carbohydrate and/or protein remainder following lipid extraction is acid hydrolyzed to simple sugars and/or amino acids, the acid is neutralized, and the solution of simple sugars and/or amino acids are fed to a second heterotrophic bioreactor containing Rhodopseudomonas sp. that consumes the biomass input and produces additional lipid product, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
  • Rhodopseudomonas palustris genome has been sequenced by the DOE Joint Genome Institute [Larimer et.al (2003) Nature Biotechnology 22, 55-61]. It is reported that its genetic system is particularly amenable to modification.
  • the carbon- fixation reaction or reactions are performed by Rhodopseudomonas sp. that have been improved, optimized or engineered for the improved fixation of carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon and/or the improved production of organic compounds through methods including but not limited to one or more of the following: accelerated mutagenesis, genetic engineering or modification, hybridization, synthetic biology or traditional selective breeding.
  • FIG. 3 includes an exemplary schematic diagram of a bioreactor 300, which can be used in certain embodiments.
  • Bioreactor 300 can be used, for example, as the reactor illustrated as Box 4 in FIG. 1 labeled "Bioreactor - Knallgas Microbes" and/or as the reactor illustrated as Box 4 in FIG. 2 labeled "Bioreactor - Purple non-sulfur bacterial.”
  • Bioreactor 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 can be operated to take advantage of the low solubilities of hydrogen and oxygen gas in water and avoids dangerous mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen gas.
  • the bioreactor can provide the oxyhydrogen microorganisms with the oxygen and hydrogen needed for cellular energy and carbon fixation, for example, by sparging, bubbling, or diffusing oxygen or air up a vertical liquid column filled with culture medium.
  • Bioreactor 300 includes a first column 302 and a second column 304.
  • oxygen is introduced to first column 302 while hydrogen or syngas is introduced to second column 304, although in other embodiments, their order may be reversed.
  • the oxygen and/or hydrogen and/or syngas can be introduced to their respective columns by, for example, sparging, bubbling, and/or diffusion such that they travel upwards through the culture medium.
  • Bioreactor 300 can include a horizontal liquid connection 312 at the top of the columns and a horizontal liquid connection 314 at the bottom of the columns.
  • the level of the liquid medium with column 302 is maintained such that gaseous headspace 316 is formed above the liquid.
  • the level of liquid medium within column 304 can be arranged such that gaseous headspace 318 is formed above the liquid medium.
  • headspace 316 and/or headspace 318 can occupy at least about 2%, at least about 10%, at least about 25%, between 2% and about 80%, between about 10% and about 80%, or between about 25% and about 80% of the total volume of the column in which they are positioned. Headspaces 316 and 318 can be isolated from each other by the liquid medium.
  • the low solubility of the gases in the liquid medium allow for the collection of gases at the tops of the columns after bubbling or diffusing the gases up through their respective columns.
  • Establishing isolated headspaces can prevent a dangerous amount of hydrogen and oxygen gases from mixing with each other.
  • the hydrogen gas in one column can be prevented from mixing with the oxygen gas in other column (and vice versa).
  • Inhibiting mixing of the hydrogen and oxygen gases can be achieved, for example, by maintaining the connections between the two columns such that they are filled with liquid, thereby preventing transport of the gases from one column to the other.
  • headspaces 316 and/or 318 can remain substantially stationary at the top of their respective columns as liquid medium is circulated between the first and second columns.
  • the horizontal liquid connection 312 at the top of the columns and horizontal liquid connection 314 bottom of the columns are arranged such that they allow the liquid medium to flow up one column in the direction of the oxygen gas, and down the other column, countercurrent to the hydrogen gas and/or syngas while the horizontal liquid connections remain continuously filled.
  • the liquid medium can flow up the column containing the hydrogen gas and/or syngas and down the other column containing the oxygen gas(in countercurrent flow relative to the gas).
  • the gas on one side or the other, but not both sides simultaneously may be bubbled forcefully such that that particular column acts as an airlift reactor and drives the circulation of the culture medium between the two columns.
  • the circulation of the fluid may also be assisted by impellers, turbines, and/or pumps.
  • any unused hydrogen gas and/or syngas that passes through the culture medium without being taken up by the microorganisms (and which may end up in the head space) can be recirculated by pumping the gas out of the headspace, optionally compressing it, and pumping it back into the medium at the bottom of the liquid column on the hydrogen and/or syngas side.
  • the oxygen and/or air might be similarly be recirculated on its respective side or alternatively vented after passing through the headspace.
  • the oxyhydrogen microorganisms are allowed to freely circulate along with the liquid medium between the first and second columns in certain embodiments.
  • the oxyhydrogen microorganisms are restricted to the hydrogen side, for example, by using a microfilter that retains the microorganisms on the hydrogen side but allows the liquid medium to pass through.
  • FIG. 4 includes an exemplary schematic illustration of another method of operating bioreactor 300 that can be used in certain embodiments.
  • the bioreactor arrangement in FIG. 4 can take advantage of the relatively high solubility of carbon dioxide and/or the strong ability of oxyhydrogen microorganism to capture carbon dioxide from relatively dilute streams.
  • the operation illustrated in FIG. 4 can exploit the carbon concentrating mechanism native to oxyhydrogen microorganisms. Flue gas and/or air containing carbon dioxide can be transported through the oxygen side of the bioreactor. The carbon dioxide can be dissolved into solution and/or taken up by the oxyhydrogen microbes and subsequently transported over to the hydrogen side of the reactor, for example, through the horizontal liquid connection 312 at the top of the column.
  • reducing equivalents can be provided that drive fixation of the carbon.
  • other gases pumped in on the oxygen side e.g., oxygen, nitrogen, etc.
  • the low solubility gases can be transported to headspace 316.
  • the gases after the gases are transported to headspace 316, they can be vented.
  • FIG. 5 includes an exemplary schematic diagram of an electrolysis apparatus 500, which can be used in certain embodiments.
  • Electrolysis apparatus 500 can be used, for example, as the unit illustrated as Box 3 in FIG. 1 labeled "Electron donor generation” and/or as the unit illustrated as Box 3 in FIG. 2 labeled "Electrolysis.”
  • Electrolysis apparatus 500 can be designed to take advantage of the oxyhydrogen microorganisms' tolerance and need for a certain concentration of oxygen by decreasing or eliminating the complete separation of the hydrogen and oxygen produced from the electrolysis step, relative to the separation schemes employed in conventional electrolysis systems designed for the production of pure hydrogen.
  • Apparatus 500 includes an electrolysis unit 502 that is configured to generate 3 ⁇ 4 and O 2 from water.
  • any suitable electrolysis unit 502 can be employed to perform the electrolysis step.
  • the electrical resistance in electrolysis unit 502 can be reduced at the expense of complete hydrogen and oxygen separation by means including but not limited one or more of the following: removing the separator used to prevent gas crossover in standard electrolyzers and/or using a relatively short distance between positive and negative electrodes.
  • Apparatus 500 can include an outlet 504, through which the hydrogen and oxygen produced by the electrolysis unit 502 can be transported.
  • Outlet 504 can be equipped with a separator 506, which can be used to separate at least a portion of the hydrogen from at least a portion of the oxygen.
  • semipermeable membranes such as polymer membranes designed for 3 ⁇ 4 separation can be employed as separator 506.
  • separator 506 can include metal foils including but not limited to foils made from palladium, palladium alloys, vanadium, niobium, tantalum and their alloys, and/or other metals and/or alloys that are permeable to hydrogen but less permeable to other gases such as oxygen.
  • the separator can be used to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen such that the hydrogen content of one gas product exiting the separator is enriched to a level that is desirable for oxyhydrogen microbes.
  • the gas product can then be transported to a bioreactor, where it can be used as a feedstock.
  • the amount of hydrogen in one of the gas products exiting the separator can be set at a level such that oxyhydrogen microorganism activity is maximized, and the loss of hydrogen produced through electrolysis apparatus 500 is minimized.
  • oxyhydrogen microorganisms that accumulate high lipid content and/or other valuable compounds such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) to are grown on an inorganic medium with CO 2 as the carbon source and hydrogen acting as the electron donor while oxygen provides the electron acceptor.
  • Oxyhydrogen microbes such as these can be used in certain embodiments of the present invention in converting CI chemicals such as carbon dioxide into longer chain organic chemicals.
  • Static anaerobic reaction vessels were inoculated with Cupriavidus necator DSM 531 (which can accumulate a high percentage of cell mass as PHB).
  • the inoculum were taken from DSM medium no. 1 agar plates kept under aerobic conditions at 28 degrees Celsius.
  • Each anaerobic reaction vessel had 10 ml of liquid medium DSM no. 81 with 80% 3 ⁇ 4, 10% CO 2 and 10% O 2 in the headspace.
  • the cultures were incubated at 28 degrees Celsius.
  • the Cupriavidus necator reached an optical density (OD) at 600 nm of 0.98 and a cell density of 4.7xl0 8 cells/ml after 8 days.
  • OD optical density
  • the medium used for growth was the mineral salts medium (MSM) formulated by Schlegel et al.
  • MSM mineral salts medium
  • the MSM medium was formed by mixing 1000 ml of Medium A, 10 ml of Medium B, and 10 ml of Medium C.
  • Medium A included 9 g/1 Na 2 HP0 4 .12H 2 0, 1.5 g/1 KH 2 P0 4 , 1.0 g/1, 0.2 g/1 MgS0 4 .7H 2 0, and 1.0 ml of Trace Mineral Medium.
  • the Trace Mineral Medium included 1000 ml distilled water; 100 mg/1 ZnS0 4 .7H 2 0; 30 mg/1 MnCl 2 .4 H 2 0; 300 mg/1 H 3 B0 3 ; 200 mg/1 C0C1 2 .6H 2 0; 10 mg/1 CuCl 2 .2 H 2 0; 20 mg/1 NiCl 2 .6H 2 0; and 30 mg/1 Na 2 Mo0 4 .2H 2 0.
  • Medium B contained 100 ml of distilled water; 50 mg ferric ammonium citrate; and 100 mg CaCl 2 .
  • Medium C contained 100 ml of distilled water and 5 g NaHC0 3 .
  • the cultures were grown in 20 ml of MSM media in 150-ml stopped and sealed serum vials with the following gas mixture in the headspace: 71% Hydrogen; 4% Oxygen; 16% Nitrogen; 9% Carbon dioxide.
  • the headspace pressure was 7 psi.
  • the cultures were grown for eight days at 30 degrees Celsius. Cupriavidus necator reached an OD at 600 nm of 0.86.
  • Cupriavidus necator which is also known as Alcaligenes eutrophus, Ralstonia eutropha, Hydrogenomona eutropha
  • Cupriavidus necator has been grown in bioreactors on H 2 /CO 2 /O 2 to a cell density of over 90 grams/liter [Tanaka, Ishizaki; Biotech. And Bioeng., vol. 45, 268-275 (1995)], and with doubling times below two hours [Ammann, Reed, Durichek, Appl. Microbio., (1968) 822-826].
  • a reference to "A and/or B,” when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A without B (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B without A (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

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Abstract

L'invention concerne des compositions et des procédés pour un procédé hybride biologique et chimique qui capture et convertit le dioxyde de carbone et/ou d'autres formes de sources de carbone inorganique et/ou de carbone CI, comprenant mais sans y être limitées, le monoxyde de carbone, le méthane, le méthanol, le formiate ou l'acide formique, et/ou des mélanges contenant des produits chimiques CI comprenant, mais sans y être limités, diverses compositions des gaz de synthèse, en produits chimiques organiques comprenant des biocarburants ou autre produits de biomasse, chimiques, industriels ou pharmaceutiques de valeur. La présente invention, dans certains modes de réalisation, permet de fixer des sources de carbone inorganique ou de carbone CI en produits chimiques organiques à chaîne carbonée plus longue par utilisation de microorganismes capables d'effectuer la réaction d'oxyhydrogénation et la fixation autotrophe de CO2 en une ou plusieurs étapes du procédé.
PCT/US2011/034218 2008-11-06 2011-04-27 Utilisation de microorganismes d'oxyhydrogénation pour la capture de carbone non photosynthétique et la conversion de sources de carbone inorganique et/ou ci en composés organiques utiles WO2011139804A2 (fr)

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JP2013508232A JP2013542710A (ja) 2010-04-27 2011-04-27 無機炭素源および／またはｃ１炭素源から有用有機化合物への非光合成炭素の回収および変換のための酸水素微生物の使用
US13/643,872 US20130149755A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2011-04-27 Use of oxyhydrogen microorganisms for non-photosynthetic carbon capture and conversion of inorganic and/or c1 carbon sources into useful organic compounds
BR112012027661-1A BR112012027661B1 (pt) 2010-04-27 2011-04-27 método biológico e químico para a captura e a conversão de um composto de carbono inorgânico e/ou um composto orgânico contendo apenas um átomo de carbono em um produto químico orgânico
EP11777987.6A EP2582817A4 (fr) 2010-04-27 2011-04-27 Utilisation de microorganismes d'oxyhydrogénation pour la capture de carbone non photosynthétique et la conversion de sources de carbone inorganique et/ou ci en composés organiques utiles
US13/623,089 US9879290B2 (en) 2008-11-06 2012-09-19 Industrial fatty acid engineering general system for modifying fatty acids
US14/361,603 US20150140640A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2012-11-29 Process for growing natural or engineered high lipid accumulating strain on crude glycerol and/or other sources of waste carbon for the production of oils, fuels, oleochemicals, and other valuable organic compounds
US14/388,756 US20150017694A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2013-03-15 Engineered CO2-Fixing Chemotrophic Microorganisms Producing Carbon-Based Products and Methods of Using the Same
US14/033,013 US9085785B2 (en) 2008-11-06 2013-09-20 Use of oxyhydrogen microorganisms for non-photosynthetic carbon capture and conversion of inorganic and/or C1 carbon sources into useful organic compounds
US15/233,512 US9957534B2 (en) 2008-11-06 2016-08-10 Engineered CO2-fixing chemotrophic microorganisms producing carbon-based products and methods of using the same
US15/839,785 US20180346941A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2017-12-12 Industrial Fatty Acid Engineering General System for Modifying Fatty Acids
US15/936,440 US20190040427A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2018-03-27 Engineered CO2-Fixing Chemotrophic Microorganisms Producing Carbon-Based Products and Methods of Using the Same
US15/963,536 US11274321B2 (en) 2008-11-06 2018-04-26 Use of oxyhydrogen microorganisms for non-photosynthetic carbon capture and conversion of inorganic and/or C1 carbon sources into useful organic compounds
US16/794,156 US20200181656A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2020-02-18 Industrial Fatty Acid Engineering General System for Modifying Fatty Acids
US17/592,167 US20220154228A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2022-02-03 Use of Oxyhydrogen Microorganisms for Non-Photosynthetic Carbon Capture and Conversion of Inorganic and/or C1 Carbon Sources into Useful Organic Compounds
US18/104,500 US20230183762A1 (en) 2008-11-06 2023-02-01 Use of Oxyhydrogen Microorganisms for Non-Photosynthetic Carbon Capture and Conversion of Inorganic and/or C1 Carbon Sources into Useful Organic Compounds

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US32818410P 2010-04-27 2010-04-27
US61/328,184 2010-04-27
PCT/US2010/001402 WO2011056183A1 (fr) 2009-11-06 2010-05-12 Procédé biologique et chimique utilisant des microorganismes chimiotrophes pour la production de composés organiques par fixation chimio-synthétique de dioxyde de carbone et/ou d'autres sources de carbone inorganique, et génération de produits additionnels utiles
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PCT/US2010/001402 Continuation WO2011056183A1 (fr) 2008-11-06 2010-05-12 Procédé biologique et chimique utilisant des microorganismes chimiotrophes pour la production de composés organiques par fixation chimio-synthétique de dioxyde de carbone et/ou d'autres sources de carbone inorganique, et génération de produits additionnels utiles

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US13/623,089 Continuation-In-Part US9879290B2 (en) 2008-11-06 2012-09-19 Industrial fatty acid engineering general system for modifying fatty acids
US14/033,013 Continuation US9085785B2 (en) 2008-11-06 2013-09-20 Use of oxyhydrogen microorganisms for non-photosynthetic carbon capture and conversion of inorganic and/or C1 carbon sources into useful organic compounds
US15/963,536 Continuation US11274321B2 (en) 2008-11-06 2018-04-26 Use of oxyhydrogen microorganisms for non-photosynthetic carbon capture and conversion of inorganic and/or C1 carbon sources into useful organic compounds

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