Solid-liquid partitioning bioreactors: A new technology platform for biotechnology and the environement

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Microbial processes fall into two categories: synthesis reactions and degradative reactions. Synthesis reactions create high value biomolecules used in the biotechnology industry. Degradative reactions provide a biological means for treating contaminated soil and water. In both types of reactions microbes can be inhibited by the toxicity of molecules involved in the transformations, making these processes inefficient. The introduction of a separate, immiscible phase to selectively partition such toxic molecules to, or away from, microbial cells is the rationale behind the design and operation of Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactors (TPPBs). By maintaining aqueous concentrations of target molecules at sub-toxic levels, TPPBs allow microbial cells to operate at their highest efficiency. Research groups in more than 15 countries are now exploring TPPB applications based on our patented technology platform. Until recently, the second phase in a TPPB would have been an immiscible organic liquid. We recently made a decisive breakthrough in TPPB technology by showing that solid polymer beads, plastic pellets, can be used as the second phase for the uptake and release of target molecules. The use of inexpensive, non-volatile, non-flammable, biocompatible and easily-shaped polymers in a bioreactor is an enormous advance in designing high-efficiency processes that eliminate cell toxicity and is key to the development of "green", solvent-free processing. In the proposed research 3 model systems for the production of high-value products will be operated to confirm the superiority of solid-liquid TPPBs in biotechnology applications. In addition, we will demonstrate the use of solid-liquid TPPBs for the treatment of soil and water sources heavily contaminated with fuel hydrocarbons, and soil contaminated with polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Potential applications include the many Brownfields sites across Canada, the Alberta Tar Sands polluted water reservoirs and the Sydney Tar Ponds, all of which could benefit from the successful demonstration of our technology. Renewed NSERC support is vital for us to exploit our polymer breakthrough, advance TPPB technology in two key sectors and maintain our international lead in developing a green bioprocessing strategy.