Nutrient modulation based process engineering strategy for improved butanol production from Clostridium acetobutylicum

The present study demonstrates a process engineering strategy to achieve high butanol titer and productivity from wild type Clostridium acetobutylicum MTCC 11274. In the first step, two different media were optimized with the objectives of maximizing the biomass and butanol productivity, respectively. In the next step, attributes of these two media compositions were integrated to design a two‐stage fed‐batch process which resulted in maximal butanol productivity of 0.55 g L −1 h −1 with titer of 13.1 g L −1 . Further, two‐stage fed‐batch process along with combinatorial use of magnesium limitation and calcium supplementation resulted in the highest butanol titer and productivity of 16.5 g L −1 and 0.59 g L −1 h −1 , respectively. Finally, integration of the process with gas stripping and modulation of feeding duration resulted in a cumulative butanol titer of 54.3 g L −1 and productivity of 0.58 g L −1 h −1 . The strategy opens up possibility of developing a viable butanol bioprocess. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog ., 35: e2771, 2019.