A new study, led by FABE Research Scientist Beenish Saba, found that adding an electrical jolt to fermentation of industrial food waste speeds up the process and increases the yield of platform chemicals that are valuable components in a wide range of products. This discovery could increase efficiency and sustainability, as well as decrease the cost of production of multipurpose chemicals. In addition, Ohio State University researchers also discovered that combining two bacterial species in the electro-fermentation mix allowed for more targeted chemical production.
“We are creating an industry from another industry’s waste,” said first author Beenish Saba, “We’re making use of waste that a contractor charges businesses to take to a landfill, where it produces methane gas. We are suggesting that industries can put up a simple bioreactor in which they can produce other important byproducts.”
The food waste listed in this study consisted of ice cream and sour cream, the study has also expanded this work to coffee grounds and lake algae. This study is the first to investigate the impact of fermentation on platform chemical production in both conventional and electro-fermentation systems, presenting a symbiotic relationship between two bacterial species. A lower applied voltage further enhanced yields, highlighting the importance of optimizing operational parameters. The complex nature of food waste was identified as the primary influence for rate of process.
The study was published recently in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. Additional co-authors, all of Ohio State, include Stephen Akinola, Ann Christy, Katrina Cornish and Thaddeus Ezeji.