BioRECO2VER: biological routes for CO2 conversion into chemical building blocks

BioRECO₂VER aims to demonstrate the technical feasibility of more sustainable non-photosynthetic biotechnological processes for the capture and conversion of CO₂ from industrial point sources like refineries and cement production plants into valuable platform chemicals, i.e. isobutene and lactate. To overcome several of the existing technical and economic barriers for CO₂ conversion by industrial biotechnology, BioRECO₂VER will focus on minimizing gas pre-treatment costs, maximizing gas transfer in bioreactors, preventing product inhibition, minimizing product recovery costs, reducing footprint and improving scalability. To this end, a hybrid enzymatic process will be investigated for CO₂ capture from industrial point sources and conversion of captured CO₂ into the targeted end-products will be realized through three different proprietary microbial platforms which are representative of a much wider range of products and applications. Bioprocess development and optimization will occur along two lines: fermentation and bio-electrochemical systems. To prepare for industrial implementation and contribute to public acceptance, the technological activities will be complemented with virtual plant design, economic and sustainability assessments and extensive dissemination.