Mw. A.M. López Contreras : Utilization of Lignocellulosic Substrates by Solvent-Producing Clostridia

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4 Apr 2003 13:30
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula (gebouw 362), Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Promotor: prof.dr. W.M. de Vos (Microbiology)
Co Promotor: dr. J. van der Oost, dr.ir. P.A.M. Claassen (ATO)

 Biomass (composed by wood and wood-processing residues, agricultural wastes, energy crops and municipal wastes) is an interesting renewable resource for the production of chemicals and fuels. This thesis describes research addressed at investigating the utilization of plant biomass (referred to as lignocellulose) for the production of acetone, butanol and ethanol by clostridial strains, the ABE fermentation. This process once has been the second largest industrial fermentation, after the production of ethanol. The utilization of domestic organic waste, both in raw state and as hydrolysate, as substrate for ABE fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum is presented. Since none of the solvent-producing clostridial strains known is able to utilize cellulose, genetic modification techniques have been applied to develop cellulose-degrading strains. We found that the cloning of appropriate genes in a solvent-producing strain gives rise to a modified substrate range for the utilization of polysaccharides. This implies that genetic techniques could be used for the development of strains degrading specific substrates of interest. In addition, we have established that C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 produces inducible extracellular cellulolytic activities and secretes at least two potential cellulosomal cellulases. The considerable research in the last decades into physiological and genetical aspects and improvements of the process technology represent important advances towards an economically viable process.
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