Reimagining Carbon Capture with Microbes
Funded through the Grand Challenge: Innovative Carbon Uses Round 1 in 2014, the OakBio project aimed to demonstrate proof-of-concept for a novel microbial process that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from Alberta’s industrial flue gas emissions and converts it into n-butanol, a valuable chemical intermediate and biofuel. Oakbio, in partnership with the F.R. Tabita lab at The Ohio State University, combined its proprietary flue gas-resistant microbial strains with advanced synthetic biology techniques to engineer microbes capable of producing n-butanol directly from CO2 and hydrogen (H2). The project focused on validating this technology using both laboratory gas and real-world flue gas samples collected from a cement plant and an oil refinery in Alberta. These efforts culminated in successful bench-scale production of n-butanol, demonstrating the technical feasibility of the process and its potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Unlike conventional carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, which are energy-intensive and costly, Oakbio’s approach leverages microbial gas fermentation to produce marketable chemicals while operating continuously and efficiently without the need for light or extensive land use. The project achieved key milestones, including the development of engineered microbial strains with improved productivity, validation of the process on Alberta flue gas, and scale-up to a 20-liter bioreactor. These results support the potential for Oakbio’s technology to meet the Grand Challenge goal of reducing Alberta’s GHG emissions by more than one megatonne per year, while also creating economic opportunities in the province’s energy and manufacturing sectors.
Building a Platform for Carbon-to-Fuel Biomanufacturing
To realize its vision of profitable carbon capture, Oakbio focused on developing and optimizing microbial strains capable of thriving in industrial environments and efficiently converting CO2 into n-butanol. Central to this effort was the integration of Oakbio’s flue gas-resistant strain, OB311, with synthetic biology tools from the F.R. Tabita lab. Through iterative engineering and testing, the team produced five generations of microbial variants, each demonstrating improved growth and productivity on both laboratory gas and raw flue gas from Alberta cement and oil refining facilities. These strains were validated at bench scale in 20-liter bioreactors, confirming their ability to operate under real-world conditions. The success of this microbial platform not only demonstrated the technical feasibility of the process but also laid the groundwork for future scale-up and commercialization. With each generation, Oakbio moved closer to a robust, scalable solution for transforming industrial CO2 emissions into valuable, low-carbon fuels and chemicals.
What’s next?
Oakbio partnered with an Alberta cement plant and refinery to receive flue gas samples for testing, but did not apply for Grand Challenge Round 2 funding, and therefore has not advanced their technology in Alberta since this time. The final report outlined a potential path to commercialization, including pilot and demonstration-scale fermentation systems and strategic partnerships with industrial emitters. However, no updates have been published, indicating that these next steps were pursued in Alberta.