Use of oxyhydrogen microorganisms for non-photosynthetic carbon capture and conversion of inorganic and/or c1 carbon sources into useful organic compounds

Abstract

Compositions and methods for a hybrid biological and chemical process that captures and converts carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon and/or CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions, into organic chemicals including bio-fuels or other valuable biomass, chemical, industrial, or pharmaceutical products are provided. The present invention, in certain embodiments, fixes inorganic carbon or CI carbon sources into longer carbon chain organic chemicals by utilizing microorganisms capable of performing the oxyhydrogen reaction and the autotrophic fixation of CO 2 in one or more steps of the process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A biological and chemical method for the capture and conversion of an inorganic carbon compound and/or an organic compound containing only one carbon atom into an organic chemical product, comprising:
 introducing an inorganic carbon compound and/or an organic compound containing only one carbon atom into an environment suitable for maintaining oxyhydrogen microorganisms and/or capable of maintaining extracts of oxyhydrogen microorganisms; and   converting the inorganic carbon compound and/or the organic compound containing only one carbon atom into the organic chemical product and/or a precursor thereof within the environment via at least one chemosynthetic carbon-fixing reaction utilizing the oxyhydrogen microorganisms and/or cell extracts containing enzymes from the oxyhydrogen microorganisms;   wherein the chemosynthetic fixing reaction is at least partially driven by chemical and/or electrochemical energy provided by electron donors and electron acceptors that have been generated chemically and/or electrochemically and/or are introduced into the environment from at least one source external to the environment.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic carbon compound comprises carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide comprises carbon dioxide gas, either alone and/or dissolved in a mixture or solution further comprising carbonate ion and/or bicarbonate ion. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic carbon comprises inorganic carbon contained in a solid phase. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the organic compound containing only one carbon atom comprises carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, and/or formic acid. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said electron donors and/or organic compounds containing only one carbon atom are generated through the gasification and/or pyrolysis of organic matter and provided as a syngas to the oxyhydrogen microorganisms. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said electron donors and/or organic compounds containing only one carbon atom are generated through methane steam reforming and provided as a syngas to the oxyhydrogen microorganisms. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in the syngas is adjusted via the water gas shift reaction prior to the syngas being delivered to the oxyhydrogen microorganisms. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxyhydrogen microorganisms include oxyhydrogen microorganisms selected from one or more of the following categories: purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria, cyanobacteria, and/or green algae. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxyhydrogen microorganisms include oxyhydrogen microorganisms selected from cyanobacteria and/or green algae. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxyhydrogen microorganisms include oxyhydrogen microorganisms selected from one or more of the following genera:  Rhodopseudomonas  sp.;  Rhodospirillum  sp.;  Rhodococcus  sp.;  Rhizobium  sp.;  Thiocapsa  sp.;  Pseudomonas  sp.;  Hydrogenomonas  sp.;  Hydrogenobacter  sp.;  Hydrogenovibrio  sp.;  Helicobacter  sp.;  Xanthobacter  sp.;  Hydrogenophaga  sp.;  Bradyrhizobium  sp.;  Ralstonia  sp.;  Alcaligenes  sp.;  Variovorax  sp.;  Acidovorax  sp.;  Anabaena  sp.;  Scenedesmus  sp.;  Chlamydomonas  sp.,  Ankistrodesmus  sp., and  Rhaphidium  sp. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claims 1 , wherein the oxyhydrogen microorganisms include oxyhydrogen microorganisms selected from one or more of the following genera:  Rhodospirillum  sp.;  Rhizobium  sp.;  Thiocapsa  sp.;  Hydrogenovibrio  sp.;  Helicobacter  sp.;  Xanthobacter  sp.;  Hydrogenophaga  sp.;  Bradyrhizobium  sp.;  Variovorax  sp.;  Acidovorax  sp.;  Anabaena  sp.;  Scenedesmus  sp.;  Chlamydomonas  sp.,  Ankistrodesmus  sp., and  Rhaphidium  sp. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said electron donors include but are not limited to one or more of the following reducing agents: ammonia; ammonium; carbon monoxide; dithionite; elemental sulfur; hydrocarbons; hydrogen; metabisulfites; nitric oxide; nitrites; sulfates such as thiosulfates including but not limited to sodium thiosulfate (Na 2 S 2 O 3 ) or calcium thiosulfate (CaS 2 O 3 ); sulfides such as hydrogen sulfide; sulfites; thionate; thionite; transition metals or their sulfides, oxides, chalcogenides, halides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, phosphates, sulfates, or carbonates, in dissolved or solid phases; and conduction or valence band electrons in solid state electrode materials. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said electron acceptors comprise one or more of the following: carbon dioxide; oxygen; nitrites; nitrates; ferric iron or other transition metal ions; sulfates; or valence or conduction band holes in solid state electrode materials. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the converting step is preceded by one or more chemical preprocessing steps in which said electron donors and/or said electron acceptors are generated and/or refined from at least one input chemical and/or are recycled from chemicals produced during the fixing step and/or chemicals derived from waste streams from other industrial, mining, agricultural, sewage or waste generating processes. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the converting step is followed by one or more process steps in which organic and/or inorganic chemical products of chemosynthesis are separated from a process stream produced during the converting step and processed to form products in a form suitable for storage, shipping, and sale; as well as one or more process steps in which cell mass is separated from the process stream and recycled to the environment as and/or collected and processed to produce biomass in a form suitable for storage, shipping, and sale. 
     
     
         17 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A bioreactor, comprising:
 a first column comprising an upper portion and a lower portion;   a second column comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the second column fluidically connected to the upper portion of the first column, and the lower portion of the second column fluidically connected to the lower portion of the first column;   wherein, the bioreactor is constructed and arranged such that, when a liquid is circulated between the first and second columns, a volume of gas is substantially stationary at the top of the first column and/or the second column, and   the volume of gas occupies at least about 2% of the total volume of the column in which the volume is positioned.   
     
     
         27 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of operating a bioreactor, comprising circulating a liquid comprising a growth medium between a first column and a second column, wherein, during operation, a volume of gas remains substantially stationary at the top of the first column and/or the second column, and the volume of gas occupies at least about 2% of the total volume of the column in which the volume is positioned. 
     
     
         30 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . An electrolysis device, comprising:
 a chamber constructed and arranged to electrolyze water to produce oxygen and hydrogen; and   an outlet comprising a separator constructed and arranged to separate at least a portion of the oxygen within a stream from at least a portion of the hydrogen within a stream such that the hydrogen content of the fluid exiting the separator is suitable for use as a feed stream to a reactor containing a culture of oxyhydrogen microorganisms.   
     
     
         36 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A method of operating an electrolysis device, comprising:
 electrolyzing water to produce a first stream containing oxygen and hydrogen; and   separating at least a portion of the oxygen from at least a portion of the hydrogen to produce a second stream relatively rich in hydrogen compared to the first stream, wherein the second stream is suitable for use as a feed stream to a reactor containing a culture of oxyhydrogen microorganisms.   
     
     
         39 - 40 . (canceled)