Biological conversion of methane to methanol using monooxygenic pathways in autotrophic ammonia oxidizing bacteria

利用自养氨氧化细菌中的单产氧途径将甲烷生物转化为甲醇

• 批准号: 1236297
• 负责人: Kartik Chandran
• 金额: $ 21.8万
• 依托单位: Columbia University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1236297&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Biological; conversion; methane; methanol; using; Biological; conversion; methane; methanol; using

Biological conversion of methane to methanol using monooxygenic pathways in autotrophic ammonia oxidizing bacteria ABSTRACTCBET 1236297Kartik ChandranColumbia UniversityThe United States is investing significant resources to become a leader in bio-based chemicals. While ethanol has been of primary focus, it should be noted that other biofuels and chemicals such as methanol can be as, if not more, attractive. Methanol is widely used as an additive in gasoline blends, as an electron donor in fuel cells, as a trans-esterfication agent to convert long-chain fatty acids and lipids to biodiesel and as a precursor to synthesize dimethyl ether (also a fuel). In addition, methanol is still one of the most widely used chemicals for enhancing denitrification in wastewater treatment. Most methanol in the States is produced by chemical oxidation of methane. The chemical catalysis pathway is expensive, energy intensive and redundant; involving initial oxidation of methane to CO2 and H2 and then reduction of CO2 back to methanol. In this project, the metabolic versatility of ammonia oxidizing bacteria will be engineered to biologically convert "dirty" digester off-gas, which contains a mixture of methane and CO2 (both co-substrates for methanol producing ammonia oxidizing bacteria) to methanol. Specifically, as part of this project, pure culture ammonia oxidizing bioreactors will be developed for the partial oxidation of methane to methanol. The metabolic pathways and nutritional requirements of ammonia oxidizing bacteria associated with methane to methanol oxidation will be characterized. Finally, using the pure culture data, metabolic models will be developed and used for the design and operation of a system for biomethanol production.The successful implementation of this project could potentially convert wastewater treatment plants into biorefineries producing methanol, and promote utilization of digester off-gas in the form of a liquid fuel-source. At the same time, pathway redundancies in chemical conversion of methane to methanol could be avoided. This project therefore follows a potentially translational paradigm based on harnessing existing, but poorly studied microbial pathways and optimizing such pathways via process engineering. Of many possible applications, the methanol produced can also be used as a carbon source during the removal of nitrogen (nitrate) from wastewater. However, the benefit is that the source of carbon to achieve this nitrogen removal is not petroleum or fossil based. Therefore, this project could also be a strong catalyst for resource neutral biological nitrogen removal. This project is expected to contribute to the overall concept of resource recovery from wastewater, landfill gas and other sources of methane by engineering appropriate bioprocess technologies. Further, this project will provide an exciting platform for improving science education by involving students from a minority school in Harlem, NY as well as science teachers who are part of an ongoing NSF STEP Teacher Training Program.

在自养氨氧化细菌中，使用单相关途径将甲烷转化为甲醇摘要1236297Kartik chandrancolumbia University美国正在投资大量资源，以成为生物基化学物质的领导者。 虽然乙醇是主要的重点，但应注意的是，其他生物燃料和甲醇等化学物质可能会吸引人。 甲醇被广泛用作汽油混合物中的添加剂，作为燃料电池中的电子供体，用作跨倍率剂，将长链脂肪酸和脂质转化为生物柴油，以及合成二甲基醚的前体（也是燃料）。 此外，甲醇仍然是使用最广泛的化学物质之一，用于增强废水处理中的硝化化学。 该州的大多数甲醇是通过甲烷化学氧化产生的。 化学催化途径昂贵，能源密集和多余。涉及甲烷至CO2和H2的初始氧化，然后将CO2还原回甲醇。 在这个项目中，氧化细菌的代谢多功能性将被设计为生物学上的“脏”消化酯Off-Gas，其中含有甲烷和二氧化碳（两种用于甲醇产生氨基氧化细菌的二下的二氧化碳）的混合物。 具体而言，作为该项目的一部分，将开发纯培养氨氧化生物反应器，以部分将甲烷氧化为甲醇。 将表征与甲烷与甲醇氧化相关的氨氧化细菌的代谢途径和营养需求。 最后，使用纯培养数据，将开发和使用代谢模型，用于设计和操作生物乙醇生产系统。该项目的成功实施可能有可能将废水处理厂转化为生产甲醇的生物培训厂，并以液态燃料燃料源的形式促进消化层异化。 同时，可以避免将甲烷转化为甲醇的化学转化率的途径。 因此，该项目遵循基于利用现有的范围，但研究不足的微生物途径并通过过程工程优化此类途径的潜在转化范式。 在许多可能的应用中，产生的甲醇在从废水中去除氮（硝酸盐）期间也可以用作碳源。 但是，好处是，实现这种去除氮的碳来源不是石油或化石。因此，该项目也可能是资源中性生物氮去除的强大催化剂。 预计该项目有助于通过工程适当的生物处理技术从废水，垃圾填埋气和甲烷的其他来源中回收资源的总体概念。此外，该项目将通过涉及纽约州哈林市的少数族裔学校以及属于正在进行的NSF Step教师培训计划的一部分的科学老师来提供一个令人兴奋的平台，以改善科学教育。