SBIR Phase II: Development of microalgae for commercial hydrogen biofuels

SBIR 第二阶段：开发用于商业氢生物燃料的微藻

• 批准号: 1353570
• 负责人: Svetlana Oard
• 金额: $ 74.98万
• 依托单位: BHO Technology, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-04-01 至 2016-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1353570&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Development; microalgae

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to use an innovative approach to metabolically engineer algae that will enable low-cost, carbon-free hydrogen production at medium to large scale. The metabolic pathway for hydrogen production in microalgae is tightly regulated. Process models for hydrogen production are based on anaerobic sulfur-deprivation preventing generation of oxygen, which inactivates hydrogenases. However, hydrogen yields are too low for an economical commercial process. Hydrogen production rates are difficult to improve due to complicated metabolic pathways guarding hydrogen production. Novel proprietary Chlamydomonas strains with synthetic genes for hydrogenase and maturation proteins were created and proven in Phase I. This project will continue the metabolic engineering to increase electron availability for hydrogenase and develop stable strains for scalable and commercially viable production of hydrogen. The proposed research will expand fundamental understanding of: 1) electron flow toward algal hydrogenases under sulfur-rich conditions and sulfur-deprivation, 2) requirements for maturation of hydrogenases, and 3) requirements to protect hydrogenases from oxygen. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project, if successful, will be the commercial generation of cost-effective, renewable, and environmentally clean hydrogen that could greatly impact the nation's ability to reduce its use of foreign oil and create many new jobs. The commercial hydrogen production currently is burdened by major dependence on electricity and carbon dioxide emission. The proposed approach provides a commercial process for hydrogen production that will generate electricity and sequester carbon dioxide. The abundance of low-cost, renewable hydrogen should expand hydrogen markets to generate electricity and fuel vehicles. Just 200,000 ha of algal ponds using improved strains could displace 20% of imported crude oil. Thus, the project will have great commercial impact by enhancing national energy security. Moreover, this technology will promote diversification and sustainability of agricultural production in the U.S. through development of algae farming, which will not require arable land. Potentially, this technology will produce the most ecologically clean biofuel theoretically available, and could have great social impact by decreasing the carbon footprint and promoting economic diversification in rural areas.

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目建议使用一种创新的方法对藻类进行新陈代谢工程，以实现中到大规模的低成本、无碳氢气生产。微藻产氢的代谢途径受到严格调控。制氢的工艺模型是基于厌氧缺硫防止氧的产生，氧的产生会使氢酶失活。然而，对于经济的商业过程来说，氢气的产量太低了。由于复杂的代谢途径守卫着氢气的产生，氢气的产生速度很难提高。具有氢酶和成熟蛋白合成基因的新型专利衣藻菌株被创造出来，并在第一阶段得到证实。该项目将继续进行代谢工程，以提高氢酶的电子利用率，并开发稳定的菌株，用于可扩展和商业可行的氢气生产。这项拟议的研究将扩大对以下方面的基本理解：1)富硫和缺硫条件下藻类氢酶的电子流动，2)氢酶成熟的要求，以及3)保护氢酶免受氧气的要求。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力，如果成功，将是具有成本效益的、可再生的和环境清洁的氢气的商业生产，这可能会极大地影响该国减少使用外国石油的能力，并创造许多新的就业机会。商业氢气生产目前主要依赖电力和二氧化碳排放。拟议的方法为氢气生产提供了一种商业流程，该流程将发电并封存二氧化碳。低成本、可再生氢气的丰富应该会扩大氢气市场，以发电和为汽车提供燃料。仅20万公顷使用改良菌株的藻类池塘就可以取代20%的进口原油。因此，该项目将通过加强国家能源安全产生巨大的商业影响。此外，这项技术将通过发展藻类养殖促进美国农业生产的多样化和可持续性，而藻类养殖不需要耕地。潜在地，这项技术将产生理论上可用的最生态清洁的生物燃料，并可能通过减少碳足迹和促进农村地区的经济多样化而产生巨大的社会影响。