Clostridium thermocellum is a thermophilic bacterium that converts biomass to ethanol directly; however, high sensitivity of this bacterium toward ethanol limits its commercial utility. To elucidate the effect of ethanol on the growth of this bacterium a metabolite analysis of C. thermocellum was performed. The hypothesis of the project was that exogenous ethanol alters the metabolite profile of C. thermocellum. For metabolite analysis, capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method (CE-ESI-MS) was developed due to highly polar and charged nature of metabolites. To increase the sensitivity of CE-ESI-MS, several parameters at the ESI interface were optimized. The application of 50% isopropanol as a sheath liquid increased sensitivity for metabolite analysis dramatically. Trimethylamine acetate (pH 10) was used as background electrolyte (BGE) due to its ability to separate the structural isomers of glucose phosphate. For metabolite sample preparation, novel methods for quenching and CE compatible metabolite extraction protocols were developed. Newly developed protocols were applied to metabolite analysis of wild type (WT) and ethanol adapted (EA) strains of C. thermocellum grown in batch cultures. Significant differences were found in key intracellular metabolites such as NAD+ and pyruvic acid. Intracellular concentrations of NAD+ were low in EA cells compared to WT cells and pyruvic acid was only detected in EA cells. To further understand the effect of ethanol on metabolite fluxes, WT and EA cells were grown in increasing concentrations of ethanol and the metabolite profile for each ethanol treatment was obtained. Significant changes were found in intracellular metabolite concentrations. Metabolic data showed that the glycolysis process in WT cells was obstructed due to exogenous ethanol which was evident from accumulation of G6P. On the other hand, no such accumulation of G6P was observed in the EA strain; however pyruvate began to accumulate in EA strain. These changes in intracellular metabolite concentrations due to perturbation of exogenous ethanol supported the hypothesis. Also, this investigation revealed a correlation between ethanol and metabolite profile changes and was able to explain a possible mechanism of growth inhibition of C. thermocellum which will certainly help genetic engineers to develop superior strains of C. thermocellum for commercial cellulosic ethanol production.

In recent years, fungal and bacterial cellulases have gained popularity for the conversion of lignocellulosic material to biofuels and biochemicals. This study investigated properties of fungal (Trichoderma. reesei) and bacterial (Clostridium thermocellum) cellulases. Enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out with T. reesei using nine enzyme concentration and substrate combinations. Initial rates and extents of hydrolysis were determined from the progress curve of each combination. Inhibition occurred at the higher enzyme concentrations and higher solids concentrations. Mechanisms to explain the observed inhibition are discussed. Samples of C. thermocellum purified free cellulase after 98% hydrolysis were assayed to determine the total protein content (0.15 ± 0.08 mg/mL), the enzymatic activity (0.306 ± 0.173 IU/mL) and the cellulosome mass using the Peterson method for protein determination, the cellulase activity assay with phenol-sulfuric acid assay, and the indirect ELISA adapted for C. thermocellum cellulosomes, respectively. Issues regarding reproducibility and validity of these assays are discussed.

Pretreatment is an essential step in biofuel production from lignocellulose. Disruption of the lignin structure gives enzymes and fermentation organisms access to long chains of cellulose and hemicellulose. For this project’s purposes, the pretreatment must work within the framework of an on-farm butanol bioprocessing facility. Alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) is a delignification method that potentially provides several advantages. At the alkaline pH, powerful hydroxyl radicals are formed; which attack lignin. The objectives of this study were to determine if AHP removes substantial lignin for the feedstocks, corn stover, wheat straw, switchgrass and miscanthus, and to determine if AHP acts as a biocide? Compositional analysis determined if lignin was removed and HPLC data were used to determine whether or not Clostridium thermocellum hydrolyzed the pretreated material. Sterility was determined by plating the AHP material. All materials showed approximately 10% lignin removal with AHP. AHP increased structural carbohydrate concentrations for wheat straw, switchgrass and miscanthus. Corn stover showed no benefit from adding peroxide to a traditional alkaline pretreatment. AHP appears to suppress visible microbial growth for the first 24 hours after pretreatment. If AHP does not provide the additional hygienic effects, AHP does not provide a significant advantage over sodium hydroxide pretreatment.

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