The present invention discloses a membrane-less reactor design for microbial electrosynthesis of alcohols from carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2). The membrane-less reactor design thus facilitates higher and efficient CO.sub.2 transformation to alcohols via single pot microbial electrosynthesis. The reactor design operates efficiently avoiding oxygen contact at working electrode without using membrane, in turn there is an increase in CO.sub.2 solubility and its bioavailability for subsequent CO.sub.2 conversion to alcohols at faster rate. The present invention further provides a process of operation of the reactor for biotransformation of the carbon dioxide.

What is described is an integrated steel mill and a bioreactor configured to produce useful products from the waste stream of the steel mill. A waste gas stack which is connected to the steel mill is connected to a heat exchanger to cool the waste gas from the steel mill. The cooled gas is pressurized using a pressurization apparatus connected to the heat exchanger. The pressurized gas is sent to an oxygen removal apparatus connected to the pressurization apparatus. An oxygen depleted waste stream from the oxygen removal apparatus is passed to a bioreactor (connected to the oxygen removal apparatus) where microorganisms ferment the waste stream to products. Optional apparatus such as scrubbers, valves, buffers, are also disclosed. The products of the fermentation in the bioreactor can be ethanol and or acetate.

A process for culturing Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum cells, which are capable of growing on gamma-cyclodextrin in a liquid culture medium in a culture vessel. Also disclosed is a process for producing a bio-product, the process comprising culturing Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum cells, which are capable of growing on gamma-cyclodextrin in a liquid culture medium in a culture vessel.

Provided is a method which allows, for example, suppression of foaming in the purification step such as distillation and continuous operation, as well as direct treatment of a waste liquid (can liquid) without having to subject the same to an extra purification treatment by removing the microorganisms, nitrogen compounds, and phosphorous compounds at once from an organic substance-containing liquid obtained from microbial fermentation. Also disclosed is a method for producing an organic substance, comprising a microbial fermentation step, a separation step, a liquefaction step, and a second purification step, wherein the concentration of the nitrogen compound in the second can liquid is 0 to 150 ppm based on the total mass of the second can liquid, and the concentration of the phosphorous compound in the second can liquid is 0 to 5 ppm based on the total mass of the second can liquid.

The present invention is directed to compositions comprising hydrolase-secreting bacteria and fermenting microorganisms and use thereof, such as for fermentative production of ethanol.

Protein-rich nutrient supplements and animal feed supplements derived from an anaerobic bacterial process are generated through a myriad of cell rupturing and protein fractionation/purification processes. Bacterial fermentation systems and methods of obtaining one or more protein-containing portions from a fermentation process using carbon monoxide-containing gaseous substrates are provided. The invention further provides compositions of protein-rich nutrient supplements with useful applications for intake by a variety of different animals and humans.

Methods and systems to control flexible gas fermentation platforms for improved conversion of CO.sub.2 into products is developed and particularly relates to a control process and system to control a ratio of feedstock gases and maximize the concentration of inert components in a bioreactor tail gas stream and or bioreactor headspace. Improved carbon utilization results though providing the most beneficial ratio of substrates to the bioreactor of the fermentation process.

The disclosure provides for the integration of a fermentation process with at least one electrolysis process, a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion unit, and a C1-generating industrial process. In particular, the disclosure provides process and a system for utilizing electrolysis products, for example H.sub.2 and/or O.sub.2 in a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion unit to improve the process efficiency of at least one of the fermentation processes or the C1-generating industrial process. More particularly, the disclosure provides a process in which H.sub.2 generated by electrolysis is passed to a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion unit to improve the substrate efficiency for a fermentation process, and the O.sub.2 generated by electrolysis process is used to improve the composition of the C1-containing tail gas generated by the C1-generating industrial process.

The disclosure provides methods to improve the economics of the gas fermentation process. A fermentation process is integrated with an industrial or syngas process and an reverse water gas shift process. An intermittent supply of reverse water gas shift process feedstock from the reverse water gas shift process is provided to the bioreactor for fermentation. The reverse water gas shift process feedstock may supplement or partially displace the C1 feedstock from the industrial or syngas process. Whether the reverse water gas shift process feedstock supplements or displaces the C1 feedstock may be based upon a function of the cost per unit of the C1 feedstock, the cost per unit of the reverse water gas shift process feedstock, and the value per unit of the fermentation product, or may depend upon the target gas ratio of the feedstock to the gas fermentation process.

An integrated process and system for the production of at least one gas fermentation product from a gaseous stream has been developed. The disclosure provides improved carbon utilization through both the recycle of a bioreactor tail gas via various different flow schemes and the employment of a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion system such as a reverse water gas shift unit. Recycling of the bioreactor tail gas and employment of a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion process provides for favourable H.sub.2:CO molar ratios of the feed to the gas fermentation bioreactor(s) for enhanced production of fermentation products. Bypass embodiments provide for optimal sizing of the reverse water gas shift unit to minimize cost.