Researchers Achieve Eco-Friendly Chemical Production via Sugarcane-Based Succinic Acid Pipeline

In a significant breakthrough aimed at promoting eco-friendly chemical production, a team of researchers from the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) has devised an economically viable method to produce succinic acid, a pivotal industrial chemical, using sugarcane as the primary source. This pioneering achievement stems from the collaborative efforts of researchers from the University of Illinois and Princeton University, who have developed an end-to-end pipeline for the production of this valuable organic acid.

Succinic acid plays a versatile role in various industries, serving as a crucial additive in food and beverages while finding applications in agricultural and pharmaceutical products. The successful creation of this efficient organic acid pipeline holds the potential to revolutionize the production of other industrially important organic acids, a focal point of CABBI's efforts in advancing sustainable biofuels and biochemicals derived from crops.

This breakthrough builds upon years of research dedicated to succinic acid production, primarily using Issatchenkia orientalis, an unconventional yeast species known for its proficiency in producing organic acids. Previous attempts to scale up succinic acid production using these microorganisms were hindered by the need to neutralize the toxic acidic conditions, resulting in the generation of undesirable byproducts, such as gypsum or calcium sulfate. These byproducts required additional separation steps in the production process, driving up downstream processing costs substantially.

Conversely, I. orientalis thrives in acidic conditions, eliminating the need for additives to maintain a neutral pH level. This inherent trait significantly reduces production costs by eliminating the need for extensive downstream processing. Moreover, the research team conducted extensive metabolic engineering to enhance succinic acid production in I. orientalis, surpassing the production levels achieved by S. cerevisiae or E. coli. Their meticulous work involved identifying and addressing bottlenecks in the yeast's metabolism that previously limited succinic acid production.

To further validate the scalability and viability of this innovative process, the team collaborated with a pilot-scale facility, the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), to conduct end-to-end production of succinic acid using industrial-grade equipment. The results were impressive, with the new yeast strains demonstrating the ability to produce up to 110 g/L of succinic acid and an overall yield of 64% after batch fermentation and downstream processing.

The final step involved collaborating with experts like Guest to simulate a complete, low-pH succinic acid production pipeline, utilizing the open-source software platform BioSTEAM developed by his group. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and a life cycle assessment confirmed the financial viability of the process and its potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuel-based production methods.

The next phase of research involves scaling up the process to support the commercialization of succinic acid production. Additionally, this breakthrough will serve as a template for producing other CABBI products using I. orientalis, including 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), a compound with a market exceeding $1 billion and promising applications in products like disposable diapers and sealants.