UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
This project seeks to enhance the productivity of microbial electrosynthesis, a technology in which microorganisms directly use electric current (such as from solar PV) to convert water and carbon dioxide into fuels and other organic chemicals, potentially at much higher efficiencies than traditional photosynthesis and with less production of waste, lower water usage, and no need for arable land. The short-term goal of the project is to optimize microorganisms already capable of microbial electrosynthesis for the production of butanol, which can be excreted from the cells to facilitate fuel processing. Specifically, the project will address two Program Elements over a one year period: 1. Engineer butanol production in one or more microorganisms currently capable of producing acetate from carbon dioxide with electric current as the sole electron donor. 2. Increase the current accepting capacity of strains already known to fix carbon dioxide via adaptive evolution.In addition, the project seeks to build upon the current ARPA-E Electrofuels project which is focused on the use of electrons derived from the oxidation of water for the production of butanol via microbial electrosynthesis. The project will expand the scope of the existing project by using hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as an electron source for the electron source for the electrosynthesis of transportation fuels. The energetic of this process are superior to water-derived electrosynthesis as the redox potential of hydrogen sulfide is significantly more favorable (E0 = -243mV). The awardees envision that the chemical energy in hydrogen sulfide will be utilized in a two-step process within an anoxic microbial fuel cell. Abiotic oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur will be followed by biological oxidation of sulfur to sulfate. The energy from both steps (8mol electrons per mol H2S) will be transferred to a graphite electrode and utilized directly for the reduction of carbon dioxide via electrosynthesis by metabolically engineering Clostridium ljungdhalii or Geobacter metallireducens to produce transportation fuels. Specifically, the project will address two program elements over the budget period: 1. System design for sulfide-mediated electrosynthesis. 2. Process optimization: Targeted screen for sulfur oxidizing organisms and adaptive evolution to increase sulfur oxidation and electricity generation.
Choose a quarter and click "Go."
| AWARD OVERVIEW |
| Award Number |
DE-AR0000087 |
Funding Agency |
Department of Energy |
| Total Award Amount |
$1,668,000 |
Project Location - City |
AMHERST |
| Award Date |
06/30/2010 |
Project Location - State |
MA |
| Project Status |
Completed |
Project Location - Zip |
01003-9242
|
| Jobs Reported |
0.08 |
Congressional District |
01 |
| Project Location - Country |
US |
|
|
Recipient Information
(Grants)
| Recipient Information (Grants) |
|
Recipient Name
|
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS |
| Recipient DUNS Number |
153926712
|
| Recipient Address |
70 BUTTERFIELD TERRACE |
| Recipient City |
AMHERST |
| Recipient State |
Massachusetts |
| Recipient Zip |
01003-9242 |
| Recipient Congressional District |
01 |
| Recipient Country |
USA |
Required to Report Top 5
Highly Compensated Officials |
No |
Projects and Jobs Information
| Projects and Jobs Information |
| Project Title |
Electrofuels via Direct Electron Transfer from Electrodes to Microbes |
| Project Status |
Completed |
| Final Project Report Submitted |
Yes |
| Project Activities Description |
Energy Resources |
| Quarterly Activities/Project Description |
In this last quarter of the project we successfully completed the characterization of the Desulfuromonas species that was isolated for its superior capacity for sulfur oxidation at the anode. This included standard physiological characterization as well as analyzing a draft genome of this organism. Two manuscripts summarizing the physiological capabilities of this organism and naming it as a new species were written in rough draft. Furthermore, the new Desulfuromonas species was successfully tested in an electrosynthesis unit in which the Desulfuromonas supplied electrons from the oxidation of sulfur produced at the anode from the abiotic oxidation of sulfide. At the cathode Sporomusa ovata produced acetate from carbon dioxide with excellent recovery of electrons derived from sulfur in acetate. A manuscript summarizing these results was submitted to Environmental Science and Technology. We did not test the potential for butanol production because the acetate production rates were half of the target milestone and it is important to first increase rates of acetate production before attempting the more difficult electrosynthesis of butanol. This work completes the project. Final draw in transit. |
| Jobs Created |
0.08 |
| Description of Jobs Created |
Associate Dean CNS, Post Doctoral Res Assoc U M |
Purchaser Information
(Grants)
| Purchaser Information |
| Contracting Office ID |
Not Reported |
| Contracting Office Name |
Not Available |
| Contracting Office Region |
Not Available |
| TAS Major Program |
89-0336 |
| Award Information |
| Award Date |
06/30/2010 |
| Award Number |
DE-AR0000087 |
| Order Number |
|
| Award Type |
Grants |
| Funding Agency ID |
89 |
| Funding Agency Name |
Department of Energy |
| Funding Office Name |
Not Available |
| Awarding Agency ID |
89 |
| Awarding Agency Name |
Department of Energy |
| Amount of Award |
$1,668,000 |
| Funds Invoiced/Received |
$1,463,635 |
| Expenditure Amount |
$1,668,000 |
| Infrastructure Expenditure Amount |
$0 |
| Infrastructure Purpose and Rationale |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Name |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Email |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Phone |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Address |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact City |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact State |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Zip |
Not Reported |
Product or Service Information
(Grants)
| Product or Service Information |
| Primary Activity Code |
C05.02 |
| Activity Description |
Energy Resources |
| Sub-Awards Information |
| Sub-awards to Organizations |
1 |
| Sub-award Amounts to Organizations |
$554,761 |
| Sub-Awards to Individuals |
0 |
| Sub-Award Amounts to Individuals |
$0 |
| Number of Sub-awards less than $25,000/award |
0 |
| Amount of Sub-awards less than $25,000/award |
$0 |
| Number of payments to vendors greater than $25,000 |
1 |
| Total Amount of payments to vendors greater than $25,000/award |
$66,883 |
| Number of payments to vendors less than $25,000/award |
462 |
| Total Amount of payments to vendors less than $25,000/award |
$161,646 |
Sub-award UMA_A00000000006153_0000038896 - REGENTS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
| Sub-Award Amount |
$554,761 |
| Sub-Award Date |
07/01/2010 |
| Sub-Awards Disbursed |
$547,101.57 |
| Project Location - City |
LA JOLLA |
| Project Location - State |
CA |
| Project Location - Zip Code |
92093-0953 |
| Project Location - Congressional District |
53 |
| Sub-Recipient DUNS Number |
830637687
|
| Sub-Recipient Address |
100833 LECONTE #62182 |
| Sub-Recipient City |
LOS ANGELES |
| Sub-Recipient State |
California |
| Sub-Recipient Zip Code |
90095-0001 |
| Sub-Recipient Congressional District |
30 |
Required To Report Top 5
Highly Compensated Officials |
No |
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Incorporated - Award Number DE-AR0000087 - Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Incorporated
| Award Number |
DE-AR0000087 |
| Sub-Award Number |
N/A |
| Vendor DUNS Number |
080549942 |
| Vendor HQ Zip Code + 4 |
21046-1245 |
| Vendor Name |
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Incorporated |
| Product and Service Description |
Research/Educational Equipment |
| Payment Amount |
$66,883 |
| Location Information |
| Latitude, Longitude |
42º 23' 28",
-72º 31' 27" |
| Congressional District |
01 |
| Address 1 |
70 BUTTERFIELD TERRACE |
| Address 2 |
OFFICE OF GRANTS AND CONTRACTS |
| City |
AMHERST |
| County |
Hampshire |
| State |
MA |
| Zip |
01003-9242 |
|
 |