Process Engineering Aspects for the Microbial Conversion of C1 Gases.

Industrially applied bioprocesses for the reduction of C1 gases (CO and/or CO) are based in particular on (syn)gas fermentation with acetogenic bacteria and on photobioprocesses with microalgae. In each case, process engineering characteristics of the autotrophic microorganisms are specified and process engineering aspects for improving gas and electron supply are summarized before suitable bioreactor configurations are discussed for the production of organic products under given economic constraints. Additionally, requirements for the purity of C1 gases are summarized briefly. Finally, similarities and differences in microbial CO valorization are depicted comparing gas fermentations with acetogenic bacteria and photobioprocesses with microalgae.