In an effort to capture and utilize CO2 emitted from raw industrial flue gas, OakBio has developed a biomanufacturing platform that converts CO2 into chemicals at commercial scale. OakBio’s approach uses a novel microbial system to convert industrially emitted CO2 into bioplastics, animal feed and other chemicals. For the ERA Grand Challenge, Oakbio is partnering with the F.R. Tabita Laboratory of the Ohio State University to engineer flue gas consuming micro-organisms to produce n-butanol, a valuable chemical feedstock and an effective renewable liquid transportation fuel. By bubbling industrial flue gases and hydrogen through a bioreactor, Oakbio can grow its proprietary microbes that consume CO2, and in turn secrete butanol. The butanol can then be continuously separated from the bioreactor culture. The project provides a solution for major CO2-emitting industries in Alberta, including oil sands upgrading and mineral product manufacturing. These industries could monetize their waste emissions into a carbon-neutral biofuel that answers the increasing demand for petrochemical replacements.
