How understanding and harnessing the microaerobic metabolism of glycerol in Escherichia coli can revitalize the biodiesel industry

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dc.contributor.advisorAlvarez, Pedro J.
dc.creatorDurnin, Guyton
dc.date.accessioned2011-07-25T01:38:39Z
dc.date.available2011-07-25T01:38:39Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.abstractGovernments want to replace fossil fuels with biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel due to concerns about pollution and price instability. However, the biodiesel industry must find a market for glycerol to be profitable. The large quantities and reduced state of its carbon have made glycerol an attractive choice for ethanol production. While Escherichia coli can produce ethanol anaerobically, cell growth requires expensive complex nutrients. To bypass this issue, we used microaerobic conditions and maintained 91% recovery of carbon into products. We identified the pathways involved in the microaerobic metabolism of glycerol using genetic and biochemical tools and further engineered the optimized anaerobic E. coli strains for microaerobic conditions. Greater cell growth and product synthesis were achieved by overexpressing glycerol dehydrogenase and dihydroxyacetone kinase. The final strain DeltafrdADeltaptaDeltaldhA (EH05) pZSKLMg1dA was tested at high glycerol levels where it produced almost exclusively ethanol in minimum media at superior volumetric rates.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.callnoTHESIS CH.E. 2009 DURNIN
dc.identifier.citationDurnin, Guyton. "How understanding and harnessing the microaerobic metabolism of glycerol in Escherichia coli can revitalize the biodiesel industry." (2009) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/61845">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/61845</a>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/61845
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.subjectChemical engineering
dc.subjectEnvironmental engineering
dc.subjectEnergy
dc.titleHow understanding and harnessing the microaerobic metabolism of glycerol in Escherichia coli can revitalize the biodiesel industry
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentChemical Engineering
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineering
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science
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