Coproduction of hydrogen, ethanol and 2,3-butanediol from agro-industrial residues by the Antarctic psychrophilic GA0F bacterium.

In this study, the simultaneous production of hydrogen, ethanol, and 2,3-butanediol was assessed using three agro-industrial residues: cheese whey powder (CWP), wheat straw hydrolysate (WSH) and sugarcane molasses (SCM), by the Antarctic psychrophilic GA0F bacterium [EU636050], which is closely related to Pseudomonas antarctica [KX186936.1]. The main soluble metabolites produced in all the fermentations were ethanol and 2,3-butanediol. CWP demonstrated to be the most effective carbon source, since fermentation of this substrate resulted in the highest yields of H 2 (73.5 ± 10 cm3 g−1), ethanol (0.24 ± 0.03 g g−1) and 2,3-butanediol (0.42 ± 0.04 g g−1), followed by the use of SCM, whereas WSH showed to have an inhibitory effect during the fermentation process, showing the lowest production values. Our results demonstrated the ability of the Antarctic psychrophilic GA0F bacterium to produce valuable products using low-cost substrates at room temperature conditions. • Psychrophilic GA0F bacterium produces simultaneously H 2 , ethanol and 2,3-butanediol. • Three agro-industrial residues are used as carbon sources for biofuel production by Antarctic bacterium. • The highest biofuels yields were attained using cheese whey powder. • 2,3-butanediol and Ethanol yields ranged from 0.23 to 0.42 and 0.19–0.24 g g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]