In this project we aim the development of economically feasible production and recovery of VFAs as valuable platform chemicals, at high concentration and purity, from agro-industrial hydrolysed bio-waste. To achieve this, natural mixed microbial culture fermentation (MCF) reactors will be integrated with in-situ product recovery via Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) and extraction. Such integration will achieve higher purities and both microbial product inhibition and variability be subsided.
The input of the process is hydrolyzed wet agro-industrial wastewater streams. This input will be converted into targeted high-value products including acids as propionate, butyrate, lactate, succinate, and alcohols. By coupling the continuous production with extraction of products and inhibition removal a boost in microbial productivity is sought to the next level of economic feasibility.
The cutting research led by the Co-PI and participants in developing powerful and very novel solvents together with the PIs’ expertise in reactor design, modelling, and operation of microbial fermentation reactors and advanced microflow extraction technology provide a unique opportunity to achieve a breakthrough in the economics of bio-waste valorization.
