title: Bioconversion of crude glycerol feedstocks into ethanol by Pachysolen tannophilus.
abstract: Glycerol, the by-product of biodiesel production, is considered as a waste by biodiesel producers. This study demonstrated the potential of utilising the glycerol surplus through conversion to ethanol by the yeast Pachysolen tannophilus (CBS4044). This study demonstrates a robust bioprocess which was not sensitive to the batch variability in crude glycerol dependent on raw materials used for biodiesel production. The oxygen transfer rate (OTR) was a key factor for ethanol production, with lower OTR having a positive effect on ethanol production. The highest ethanol production was 17.5 g/L on 5% (v/v) crude glycerol, corresponding to 56% of the theoretical yield. A staged batch process achieved 28.1g/L ethanol, the maximum achieved so far for conversion of glycerol to ethanol in a microbial bioprocess. The fermentation physiology has been investigated as a means to designing a competitive bioethanol production process, potentially improving economics and reducing waste from industrial biodiesel production.
authors.affiliation: Center for Systems Microbiology, Department of Systems Biology, Building 301, Matematiktorvet, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Xiaoying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peter Ruhdal
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Mhairi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Workman
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D056804:Biofuels / Q000382:microbiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D000431:Ethanol; D005990:Glycerol