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A high gas fraction, reduced power, syngas bioprocessing method demonstrated with a Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1 paper biocomposite

We propose a novel approach to continuous bioprocessing of gases. A miniaturized, coated‐paper strip, high gas fraction, biocomposite absorber has been developed using slowly shaken horizontal anaerobic tubes. Concentrated Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1 was used as a model system. These gas absorbers demonstrate elevated CO mass transfer with low power input, reduced liquid requirements, elevated substrate consumption, and increased product secretion compared to shaken suspended cells. Concentrated OTA1 cell paste was coated by extrusion onto chromatography paper. The immobilized system shows high, constant reactivity immediately upon rehydration. Cell adhesion was by adsorption to the cellulose fibers; visualized by SEM. The C. ljungdahlii OTA1 coated paper mounted above the liquid level absorbs CO and H2 from a model syngas secreting acetate with minimal ethanol. At 100 rpm shaking speed (7.7 Wm−3) the optimal cell loading is 6.5 gDCW m−2 to maintain high CO absorbing reactivity without the cells coming off of the paper into the liquid phase. Reducing the medium volume from 10 mL to 4 mL (15% of tube volume) did not decrease CO reactivity. The reduced liquid volume increased secreted product concentration by 80%. The specific CO consumption by paper biocomposites was higher at all shaking frequencies <100 rpm than suspended cells under identical incubation conditions. At 25 rpm the biocomposite outperforms suspended cells for CO absorption by 2.5‐fold, with an estimated power reduction of 97% over the power input at 100 rpm. The estimated minimum kLa for miniaturized biocomposite gas‐absorbers is ∼100 h−1, 10 to 104 less power input than other syngas fermentation systems reported in the literature at similar kLa. Specific consumption rates in a biocomposite were ∼14 mmol gDCW−1 h−1. This work intensified CO absorption and reactivity by 14‐fold to 94 mmol CO m−2 h−1 over previous C. ljungdahlii OTA1 work by our group. Specific acetate production rates were 23 mM h−1 or 46 mmol m−2 h−1. The specific rates and apparent kLa scaled linearly with biocomposite coating area. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1913–1923. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.