PFI-BIC: Silica-based Bioremediation Technology Platform with Applications for a Growing Shale Gas/Oil Industry

明尼苏达大学双城分校的这一创新伙伴关系项目将采用一种成功的生物修复技术，该技术以前用于去除水中的农药，并对其进行重新设计，以用于从枯竭气井威尔斯中进行微生物强化的煤层天然气回收，并用于对水力压裂过程中产生的沃茨通过气井返回的水的百分比进行生物修复用于页岩油、油砂和天然气的钻探（压裂）方法。该技术基于将微生物封装在廉价、安全、寿命延长的硅基混合凝胶中。微生物在凝胶中稳定，并继续生物降解农药超过四个月。在重新设计提高采收率的平台技术时，将通过二氧化硅封装来稳定将煤转化为天然气的微生物群落，以便于运输，提高稳定性和改善功能。在用于生物修复的平台技术的再设计中，微生物将被稳定化并呈现高度活性，以生物降解在经由井从水力压裂（压裂）钻井方法期间产生的沃茨返回的水的百分比内的有机污染物。这项研究的更广泛的影响是未来可能应用于高效和安全的石油和天然气行业。一个强大的国内能源部门与创造新的就业机会之间有着密切的联系。美国最近已成为能源净出口国，这主要归功于使用水力压裂法开采页岩油和天然气的进展。该提案开发了提高天然气和石油回收的技术，并开发了一个平台，可以最大限度地减少通过油井返回的一定比例的水对环境的影响，然后将其保存在沉淀池中。其中两个知识增强合作伙伴（KEP）将获得技术，以开发和扩大生产二氧化硅封装的生物降解细菌，这些细菌可用于处理沉淀池中的水力压裂水。二氧化硅材料赋予的生物稳定性对于保护将煤转化为天然气的微生物群落也很重要。其中一个KEP将带走这项技术，以提高提供微生物的能力，从而增加整个美国和潜在的外国市场的天然气产量。这一应用非常重要，因为美国拥有巨大的煤炭储量，提高煤炭到甲烷的转化率将有助于我们国家清洁能源的未来。项目启动时的合作伙伴：牵头机构明尼苏达大学双城分校（生物化学系;生物资源中心，生物技术研究所;赞助项目管理局;技术商业化办公室;风险中心;和总法律顾问办公室; KEP核心小企业：1）卢卡技术（博尔德，CO）3F有限责任公司（圣保罗，明尼苏达州）和3）苔原公司（白色熊湖，明尼苏达州）。

This Partnership for Innovation project from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities will take a successful bioremediation technology previously used for pesticide removal from water and re-engineer it for use in microbiologically-enhanced coal-bed natural gas recovery from depleted gas wells and in bioremediation of the percentage of water returned via the well from waters generated during the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) method of drilling for shale oil, oil sands, and gas. The technology is based on encapsulating microorganisms in an inexpensive, safe, extended life-time, silica-based hybrid gel. The microbes are stabilized within the gel and continue to biodegrade pesticides for more than four months. In re-engineering the platform technology for enhanced recovery, communities of microorganisms that transform coal to natural gas will be stabilized by silica encapsulation for ease of transport, enhanced stability, and improvement of function. In re-engineering of the platform technology for bioremediation, microbes will be stabilized and rendered highly active to biodegrade organic contaminants within the percentage of water returned via the well from waters generated during the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) method of drilling. The broader impacts of this research are on possible future applications to an efficient and safe oil and gas industry. There is a strong link between a robust domestic energy sector and the creation of new jobs. The U.S. has recently become a net exporter of energy, credited largely to advances in shale oil and gas extraction that use hydraulic fracturing. This proposal develops technologies to enhance gas and oil recovery and a platform that can minimize the environmental impacts from a percentage of the water that is returned via the well and then kept in settling ponds. Two of the knowledge enhancement partners (KEPs) will take away technology to develop and scale-up production of silica-encapsulated, biodegrading bacteria that can be used for treating fracking water in settling ponds. Biostabilization imparted by the silica materials is also important for preserving microbial communities that transform coal to natural gas. One of the KEPs will take away this technology to enhance the ability to deliver microorganisms that increase natural gas production throughout the U.S. and potentially in foreign markets. This application is important because the U.S. has enormous coal reserves and enhancing coal to methane conversion will contribute to a clean energy future for our country.Partners at the inception of the project: the lead instituion, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Department of Biochemistry; Bioresource Center, Biotechnology Institute; Sponsored Projects Administration; Office of Technology Commercialization; Venture Center; and Office of the General Counsel; KEP core small businesses: 1) Luca Technologies (Boulder, CO) 3F LLC (St. Paul, MN) and 3) Tundra Companies (White Bear Lake, MN).