Decreased hydrogen production leads to selective butanol production in co-cultures of Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum strain N1-4

Abstract

When Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum strain N1-4 were co-cultured hydrogen production decreased and butanol was selectively produced with extremely low level of acetone. Since the high butanol production correlates with low hydrogen production, the molecular selection of hydrogenase gene activity is expected to yield strains exhibiting a higher butanol ratio.