Electron uptake from solid electrodes promotes the more efficient conversion of CO2 to polyhydroxybutyrate by using Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Shuwei Li; Minsoo Kim; Da Seul Kong; Kyoungseon Min; Guangxi Wu; Meiying Cui; Changman Kim; You Kwan Oh; Soek Kim; Soo Youn Lee; Sung Gyun Kang; Yvonne Nygård; Jung Rae Kim

doi:10.1016/j.cej.2023.143785

Electron uptake from solid electrodes promotes the more efficient conversion of CO₂ to polyhydroxybutyrate by using Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Shuwei Li
, Minsoo Kim
, Da Seul Kong
, Kyoungseon Min
, Guangxi Wu
, Meiying Cui
, Changman Kim
, You Kwan Oh
, Soek Kim
, Soo Youn Lee
, Sung Gyun Kang
, Yvonne Nygård
, Jung Rae Kim^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Not published at VTT

Pusan National University
Korea Institute of Energy Research
Shenzhen University
Chonnam National University
Korea Institute Of Ocean Science & Technology
Chalmers University of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a promising strategy for the conversion of CO₂ to useful chemicals. Nevertheless, the characteristics of electrode-associated cells in MES and their metabolic pathway regulation in CO₂ fixation have not been elucidated. This study examined the electrode-driven polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production from CO₂ in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The electron uptake and regulation of the metabolic pathways differed in electrode-associated and suspended R. sphaeroides. The electrode-associated cells produced PHB at concentrations up to 23.50 ± 2.8% of the dry cell weight (DCW), whereas the suspended cells grew faster but with a lower cellular PHB content. Gene expression analyses showed that phaA expression was upregulated in electrode-associated R. sphaeroides, whereas phaB expression was downregulated in suspended cells. The electrode-associated cells expressed unconventional CO₂ fixation enzymes, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase, with more PHB synthesis. These results show that CO₂ can be upcycled to polymeric substances and provide novel insights into the genetic regulation of electrode-associated cells in MES.

Original language	English
Article number	143785
Journal	Chemical Engineering Journal
Volume	469
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.143785
Publication status	Published - 1 Aug 2023
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

This study was supported by the Mid-Career Researcher Program (NRF-2021R1A2C2007841) and the Basic Research Laboratory Program (BRL) (NRF-2022R1A4A1021692) by the Korean National Research Foundation, funded by the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) through the project of Development of CO2-free biohydrogen production and operation of on-site bioelectrochemical reactor, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) (2021003240005). The collaboration between PNU and Chalmers University of Technology was supported by Korean National Research Foundation (2021K2A9A2A12000206) and The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) (MG2020-8844). The China Scholarship Council supported Mr. Shuwei Li’s Graduate Program at Pusan National University (No. 202008260038).

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

CO conversion
CO electrosynthesis
Direct and indirect electron uptake
Electrode-associated cells
Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cej.2023.143785

Cite this

Li, S., Kim, M., Kong, D. S., Min, K., Wu, G., Cui, M., Kim, C., Oh, Y. K., Kim, S., Lee, S. Y., Kang, S. G., Nygård, Y., & Kim, J. R. (2023). Electron uptake from solid electrodes promotes the more efficient conversion of CO₂ to polyhydroxybutyrate by using Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Chemical Engineering Journal, 469, Article 143785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.143785

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abstract = "Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a promising strategy for the conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals. Nevertheless, the characteristics of electrode-associated cells in MES and their metabolic pathway regulation in CO2 fixation have not been elucidated. This study examined the electrode-driven polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production from CO2 in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The electron uptake and regulation of the metabolic pathways differed in electrode-associated and suspended R. sphaeroides. The electrode-associated cells produced PHB at concentrations up to 23.50 ± 2.8\% of the dry cell weight (DCW), whereas the suspended cells grew faster but with a lower cellular PHB content. Gene expression analyses showed that phaA expression was upregulated in electrode-associated R. sphaeroides, whereas phaB expression was downregulated in suspended cells. The electrode-associated cells expressed unconventional CO2 fixation enzymes, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase, with more PHB synthesis. These results show that CO2 can be upcycled to polymeric substances and provide novel insights into the genetic regulation of electrode-associated cells in MES.",

keywords = "CO conversion, CO electrosynthesis, Direct and indirect electron uptake, Electrode-associated cells, Rhodobacter sphaeroides",

author = "Shuwei Li and Minsoo Kim and Kong, \{Da Seul\} and Kyoungseon Min and Guangxi Wu and Meiying Cui and Changman Kim and Oh, \{You Kwan\} and Soek Kim and Lee, \{Soo Youn\} and Kang, \{Sung Gyun\} and Yvonne Nyg{\aa}rd and Kim, \{Jung Rae\}",

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AU - Min, Kyoungseon

AU - Wu, Guangxi

AU - Cui, Meiying

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AU - Oh, You Kwan

AU - Kim, Soek

AU - Lee, Soo Youn

AU - Kang, Sung Gyun

AU - Nygård, Yvonne

AU - Kim, Jung Rae

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N2 - Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a promising strategy for the conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals. Nevertheless, the characteristics of electrode-associated cells in MES and their metabolic pathway regulation in CO2 fixation have not been elucidated. This study examined the electrode-driven polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production from CO2 in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The electron uptake and regulation of the metabolic pathways differed in electrode-associated and suspended R. sphaeroides. The electrode-associated cells produced PHB at concentrations up to 23.50 ± 2.8% of the dry cell weight (DCW), whereas the suspended cells grew faster but with a lower cellular PHB content. Gene expression analyses showed that phaA expression was upregulated in electrode-associated R. sphaeroides, whereas phaB expression was downregulated in suspended cells. The electrode-associated cells expressed unconventional CO2 fixation enzymes, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase, with more PHB synthesis. These results show that CO2 can be upcycled to polymeric substances and provide novel insights into the genetic regulation of electrode-associated cells in MES.

AB - Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a promising strategy for the conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals. Nevertheless, the characteristics of electrode-associated cells in MES and their metabolic pathway regulation in CO2 fixation have not been elucidated. This study examined the electrode-driven polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production from CO2 in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The electron uptake and regulation of the metabolic pathways differed in electrode-associated and suspended R. sphaeroides. The electrode-associated cells produced PHB at concentrations up to 23.50 ± 2.8% of the dry cell weight (DCW), whereas the suspended cells grew faster but with a lower cellular PHB content. Gene expression analyses showed that phaA expression was upregulated in electrode-associated R. sphaeroides, whereas phaB expression was downregulated in suspended cells. The electrode-associated cells expressed unconventional CO2 fixation enzymes, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase, with more PHB synthesis. These results show that CO2 can be upcycled to polymeric substances and provide novel insights into the genetic regulation of electrode-associated cells in MES.

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