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Project 4822

Production of Bioisoprene from Wastewater

$219,358
Completed
Principal Investigator
Nicole Buan
Project Manager
Christine Radke
Contractor
University of Nebraska
Anaerobic Digestion
Energy Optimization
Resource Recovery
Treatment
Final Report

Abstract

This study examined a way to generate high-value products that can help transition wastewater treatment facilities into economically viable resource recovery facilities. The project team developed a method to generate isoprene using microbes (methane-producing archaea, methanogens) that can grow in wastewater anaerobic digesters. The methanogen, Methanosarcina acetivorans, was genetically engineered to produce isoprene monomer in chemically defined culture medium using methanol as a carbon and energy source. Isoprene is currently derived from petroleum and is a $4B market with increasing global demand. Published by WRF. 32 pages. Online PDF. (2018)

Originally funded as WERF project NTRY6R14.

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