Chemoautotrophic production of gaseous hydrocarbons, bioplastics and osmolytes by a novel <i>Halomonas</i> species

Faulkner, Matthew, Hoeven, Robin, Kelly, Paul P, Sun, Yaqi, Park, Helen, Liu, Lu-Ning ORCID: 0000-0002-8884-4819, Toogood, Helen S and Scrutton, Nigel S (2023) Chemoautotrophic production of gaseous hydrocarbons, bioplastics and osmolytes by a novel <i>Halomonas</i> species. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS, 16 (1). 152-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13068-023-02404-1

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Production of relatively low value, bulk commodity chemicals and fuels by microbial species requires a step-change in approach to decrease the capital and operational costs associated with scaled fermentation. The utilisation of the robust and halophilic industrial host organisms of the genus Halomonas could dramatically decrease biomanufacturing costs owing to their ability to grow in seawater, using waste biogenic feedstocks, under non-sterile conditions.<h4>Results</h4>We describe the isolation of Halomonas rowanensis, a novel facultative chemoautotrophic species of Halomonas from a natural brine spring. We investigated the ability of this species to produce ectoine, a compound of considerable industrial interest, under heterotrophic conditions. Fixation of radiolabelled NaH<sup>14</sup>CO<sub>3</sub> by H. rowanensis was confirmed in mineral medium supplied with thiosulfate as an energy source. Genome sequencing suggested carbon fixation proceeds via a reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, and not the Calvin-Bensen-Bassham cycle. The mechanism of energy generation to support chemoautotrophy is unknown owing to the absence of an annotated SOX-based thiosulfate-mediated energy conversion system. We investigated further the biotechnological potential of the isolated H. rowanensis by demonstrating production of the gaseous hydrocarbon (bio-propane), bioplastics (poly-3-hydroxybutyrate) and osmolytes (ectoine) under heterotrophic and autotrophic CO<sub>2</sub> fixation growth conditions.<h4>Conclusions</h4>This proof-of-concept study illustrates the value of recruiting environmental isolates as industrial hosts for chemicals biomanufacturing, where CO<sub>2</sub> utilisation could replace, or augment, the use of biogenic feedstocks in non-sterile, industrialised bioreactors.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	7 Affordable and Clean Energy
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	13 Dec 2023 11:42
Last Modified:	15 Mar 2024 04:59
DOI:	10.1186/s13068-023-02404-1
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-023-02404-1
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3177317