Development and mathematical modeling of a novel bioprocess involving a defined microbial community

该项目将三个新方面结合在一起，实现一个目标。在技术上，我们将探索使用两种确定的物种的共培养物来开发一种新的工艺，用于将甘油更有效地生物转化为1，3-丙二醇，这是一种在化学工业中具有广泛应用的化合物。作为生物柴油生产副产品的原料甘油将用作甘油发酵微生物的底物。甲醇作为粗甘油中的有毒物质，乙酸作为甘油代谢的主要抑制性副产物，将被产甲烷生物转化为甲烷。采用双室膜生物反应器对该工艺进行了研究。在生物学上，选定的共培养物将用作最小微生物群落的模型系统，以定量研究受控生理条件下的微生物相互作用。在方法上，将建立数学模型来描述产甲烷生物在多种基质和微生物群落上的细胞生长和代谢动力学。为了更基本地了解产甲烷生物和微生物群落，应该估计细胞内代谢通量。微生物群落代谢通量的研究较少，因此现有的通量估算方法有待进一步发展。动力学和通量分析的结果应有助于确定可能的限制步骤和关键参数，用于开发和优化新的生物过程。

This project combines three new aspects for one goal. Technologically, we will explore the use of a co-culture of two defined species to develop a new process for a more effective bioconversion of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol, a compound with a wide range of applications in the chemical industry. Raw glycerol as a byproduct from biodiesel production will be used as substrate for a glycerol fermenting organism. Methanol as a toxic substance in the raw glycerol and acetic acid as a major inhibitory byproduct of glycerol metabolism will be converted into methane by a methanogenic organism. A two-chamber membrane bioreactor will be used to study this process. Biologically, the selected co-culture will be used as a model system for a minimal microbial community to quantitatively study microbial interactions under controlled physiological conditions. Methodologically, mathematical models will be established to describe the kinetics of cell growth and metabolism of the methanogenic organism on multiple substrates and the microbial community. For a more fundamental understanding of the methanogenic organism and the microbial community intracellular metabolic fluxes should be estimated. Metabolic fluxes of microbial communities have been seldom studied, therefore the existing methods for flux estimation need to be further developed. The results from kinetic and flux analysis should help to identify possible limiting step(s) and key parameters for the development and optimization of the novel bioprocess.