Scale-Up and Optimization of Biotechnological Production of Renewable Glycolic Acid

Phycus Biotechnologies Inc.是一家位于安大略省马卡姆的公司，该公司开发了一种独特的发酵工艺来生产乙醇酸。具体来说，Phycus使用微生物过程生产100%生物基的乙醇酸。通过发酵，Phycus专有的微生物将植物原料转化为乙醇酸，与使用不可再生甲醛作为原料的传统乙醇酸生产相比，这是一种替代方法。目前，Phycus的乙醇酸产品public acid tm作为70%化妆品级溶液出售。Phycus不仅带来了化石资源的替代品，而且还有助于减少碳足迹，因为产品最初是从大气中提取的二氧化碳。Phycus对其生产乙醇酸的菌株进行了额外的遗传修饰，改变了控制细胞能量代谢和某些降解途径的基因。在与兰姆顿学院的合作中，Phycus寻求扩大大规模生产乙醇酸所需的发酵和下游工艺。通过使用兰姆顿学院的生物反应器和相关的微生物分析和繁殖设备，该项目将重点关注发酵产物的下游加工和用于定量乙醇酸的色谱系统。该项目的成功将使Phycus能够在商业规模前提高其工艺的生产率，并进一步支持商业规模设施的设计变更。这种生产力的提高和产量的提高将降低Phycus的资本成本，增加他们的利润率，使他们能够创造新的就业机会，壮大他们的团队。此外，该项目将支持培训几个兰姆顿学院的工作人员和学生在一个不断增长的经济部门。生物基乙醇酸的成功商业化不仅提供了化石燃料的替代品，而且还将有助于减少化妆品公司的碳足迹。

Phycus Biotechnologies Inc. is a Markham, Ontario based company that has developed a unique fermentation process for production of glycolic acid. Specifically, Phycus uses a microbial process to produce glycolic acid that is 100% biobased. Through fermentation, Phycus' proprietary microbe converts plant-based feedstock to glycolic acid, which is an alternative approach compared to conventional glycolic acid production that uses non-renewable formaldehyde as the starting material. Presently, Phycus' glycolic acid product, Purolic AcidTM, is sold as a 70% cosmetic grade solution. Phycus not only brings an alternative to fossil sources, but also helps reduce the carbon footprint because the product starts as carbon dioxide derived from the atmosphere. Phycus has made additional genetic modifications to its glycolic acid producing strain, altering the genes that control the cells' energy metabolism and certain degradation pathways. In collaboration with Lambton College, Phycus seeks to scale-up their fermentation and downstream processes needed for large-scale manufacturing of glycolic acid. Through access to Lambton College's bioreactors and related microbiology analysis and propagation equipment, this project will focus on downstream processing of fermentation products and chromatography systems for quantification of glycolic acid. The success of this project will allow Phycus to improve productivity of their process at pre-commerical scale and further support design changes for a commercial scale facility. This increased productivity and yield improvements will drive down Phycus' captialcosts and increase their profit margins, allowing them to create new jobs and grow their team. In addition, this project will support the training of several Lambton College staff and students in a growing sector of the economy. The successful commercialization of a biobased glycolic acid not only provides a substitute for fossil fuels, but it will also help reduce the carbon footprint of cosmetic companies.