A Microbial Solution for a Sustainable Future
ChE Assistant Professor Ben Woolston is using engineered microbes to convert carbon dioxide into valuable products like fuels and chemicals, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional petrochemical and corn-based production methods.
As the demand for sustainable biotechnology grows, researchers worldwide are seeking alternatives to traditional petrochemical and corn-based production methods. One of the leading innovators in this field is Ben Woolston, assistant professor of chemical engineering.
Woolston’s lab focuses on engineering microorganisms to create essential fuels, chemicals, and materials that can be produced from sustainable resources instead of fossil fuels or food crops. His groundbreaking work has the potential to transform industries by making these products directly from carbon dioxide (CO2), the ultimate waste resource.
“We develop engineered microbes to produce the fuels, chemicals, and materials we need for our modern lifestyles, but from sustainable resources,” Woolston explains, highlighting the importance of finding new ways to meet societal needs without compromising environmental sustainability.
Harnessing non-model and cooperative microbes
What sets Woolston’s research apart from other efforts in biotechnology is his focus on non-model microorganisms—species that are not commonly used in industrial processes. These “unusual” microbes offer unique properties that make them ideal candidates for solving complex sustainability challenges.
In addition to working with unusual microbes, the lab strategically uses multiple microbes working together in a single bioreactor. By leveraging cooperative relationships between microbes, Woolston’s lab has opened up new possibilities for enhancing efficiency and productivity in microbial processes.
“We work a lot with non-model microbes that most people aren’t familiar with,” Woolston says. “And we also very often work with multiple microbes that are working together in the same reactor as opposed to just a single species.”
Breakthrough in CO2 fixation: The two-microbe system
One of the most exciting aspects of Woolston’s research is his work on a two-microbe system that can convert CO2 into valuable products.
The first microbe in this system, Clostridium ljungdahlii, is an ancient organism capable of fixing CO2 into acetic acid, a valuable intermediate chemical. Clostridium ljungdahlii is part of a class of microbes known as acetogenic bacteria, which are particularly adept at converting CO2 into useful compounds.
However, these microbes are anaerobic, meaning they can’t survive in environments with oxygen, making industrial-scale production challenging.
To overcome Clostridium’s oxygen sensitivity, Woolston’s lab introduced a second microbe into the system. This second organism, which thrives in oxygen-rich environments, scavenges the oxygen, creating a safe environment for Clostridium to grow and function. This innovation allows the microbes to be grown in regular bioreactors without the need for specialized oxygen-free conditions, simplifying the production process and making it more commercially viable.
This breakthrough system enables the two microbes to work together efficiently: Clostridium ljungdahlii fixes CO2 into acetic acid, while the second microbe converts that acetic acid into the desired products, such as platform chemicals and fuels. By splitting the metabolic tasks between two microbes, Woolston’s lab has found a way to make CO2 fixation a feasible industrial process.
Scaling up: Bringing sustainable microbial solutions to market
The next step for the Woolston Lab is scaling the technology for industrial use. Earlier this year, the lab secured a $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the metabolic interactions between the two microbes and further optimize the system’s performance.
The challenge now lies in scaling the process and ensuring it remains stable over time in industrial settings. Woolston is focused on securing additional funding to take the project to the next level, specifically through partnerships with industry. Transitioning from academic research to commercial viability requires significant resources, and Woolston is actively seeking partners to help make that leap.
“We’ve shown that Clostridium can fix CO2 into acetate, and the second microbe can make it into the products we care about,” Woolston says. “Now, we’re looking for partners to help us raise our technology readiness level to the point that a larger corporation would want to pick this up or even license it from us.”
Green technology: Reducing reliance on corn and petrochemicals
Woolston’s long-term goal is to develop a system that eliminates the need for corn-derived sugars, which are currently a major feedstock for microbial production of chemicals. The environmental and societal benefits of this shift are substantial. In the U.S., nearly 40% of the corn planted is used to produce bio-based products, diverting a significant amount of agricultural resources away from food production. As global populations grow, this strain on food systems will only increase.
Woolston’s vision is to replace corn-based processes with CO2-based production, allowing products to be made directly from waste CO2 and green energy sources. This shift could dramatically reduce the environmental footprint of industries that rely on chemicals, fuels, and materials, making them more sustainable for future generations.
“Instead of all these things you use in your modern lifestyle coming either from petrochemicals or corn, they’ll be coming directly from CO2 and green energy,” Woolston explains.
By harnessing the power of non-model microbes and cooperative microbial systems, the Woolston Lab is developing a technology that could reduce reliance on non-renewable resources, providing a sustainable path forward for producing the materials, chemicals, and fuels we rely on every day.
Source: Center for Research Innovation by Elizabeth Creason