SUPERVISOR: Diethard MATTANOVICH

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Sandra BABU

The sustainable production of bio-based chemicals from industrial side streams represents a key strategy in advancing circular bioeconomy and green manufacturing. 1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO), an important platform chemical used in the production of polymers such as polytrimethylene terephthalate and polyurethanes, has gained increasing interest as a renewable alternative to petrochemical-derived intermediates. Microbial conversion of biodiesel and bioethanol-derived waste streams using Lentilactobacillus diolivorans offers a promising route for sustainable 1,3-PDO production; however, efficient downstream recovery from complex fermentation matrices remains a major bottleneck for industrial implementation.

This work focuses on the development of an integrated downstream purification strategy for the recovery of 1,3-PDO from fermentation broth generated from waste-stream-based bioprocesses. Given the presence of residual substrates, organic acids, salts, biomass-derived impurities, and other fermentation by-products, selective separation and purification present significant technical challenges. Membrane-based purification approaches, will be investigated as energy-efficient and scalable alternatives to conventional separation methods. The study evaluates pre-treatment and separation strategies to enhance product purity while enabling the simultaneous recovery of valuable co-products such as acids and bases.

By coupling upstream bioconversion using renewable feedstocks with intensified downstream processing, this work aims to contribute to the development of economically viable and environmentally sustainable biorefineries. The integration of microbial fermentation with advanced separation technologies provides a pathway toward efficient waste valorization and scalable production of green platform chemicals. 

This project is the part of ‘GreenChem TechHub’ doctoral program in collaboration with Vogelbusch GmbH.