Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies

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ISU has established a syngas fermentation program that explores hybrid thermochemical/biological processing of biomass. Located in the H.M. Black Engineering building on the ISU campus, the syngas fermentation facility shares lab space with a 5 kg/hr fluidized bed gasifier.  The gaseous mixture resulting from the gasification of carbonaceous feedstocks can be fermented to various products including carboxylic acids, alcohols, esters, and hydrogen.  The syngas fermentation facility includes onsite sample analysis capabilities and can be used to investigate potential syngas consuming microorganisms.

In benchtop (10 L) trials, syngas has been converted to polyhydroxy alkanoate (PHA) biopolymers in batch fermentations using Rhodospirillum  rubrum, a photosynthetic purple non-sulfur bacterium.  R. rubrum also facilitates a water-gas shift reaction which produces hydrogen from water and carbon monoxide.  The current activity of this facility is the optimization of R. rubrum growth conditions to increase PHA and hydrogen productivity.

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Syngas Fermentation Research Facility located in the H.M. Black Engineering Building gasification lab.

Rhodospirillum rubrum culture in a New Brunswick
BioFlo 110 benchtop fermentor.

Papers, Reports, and Presentations :

Do, Y. S., J. Smeenk, et al. (2007).
"Growth of Rhodospirillum rubrum on synthesis gas: conversion of CO to H2 and poly-beta-hydroxyalkanoate." Biotechnol Bioeng 97(2): 279-86.

Chipman, D.C., Y.S. Do, D.W. Choi, et al. (2007). 
“Syngas Fermentation Research Facility at Iowa State University.”  Poster Presentation.  2007 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference

Principle Investigators:

Robert Brown, Iowa State University
Tom Bobik, Iowa State University
Alan DiSpirito, Iowa State University

Additional Contacts:

Dong Won Choi, Post Doctoral Associate (dwoniastate.edu)
David Chipman, Graduate Student (dchipmaniastate.edu)