Methanol production from simulated biogas mixtures by co-immobilized Methylomonas methanica and Methylocella tundrae

Abstract In the present study, co-cultures of the methanotrophs Methylocella tundrae , Methyloferula stellata , and Methylomonas methanica were evaluated for improving methanol production with their application. Among the different combinations, the co-culture of M. tundrae and M. methanica increased methanol production to 4.87 mM using methane (CH 4 ) as feed. When simulated biogas mixtures were used as feed, the maximum methanol production was improved to 8.66, 8.45, and 9.65 mM by free and encapsulated co-cultures in 2% alginate and silica-gel, respectively. Under repeated batch conditions, free and immobilized co-cultures using alginate and silica-gel resulted in high cumulative production, up to 24.43, 35.95, and 47.35 mM, using simulated biohythane (CH 4 and hydrogen), respectively. This is the first report of methanol production from defined free and immobilized co-cultures using simulated biogas mixtures as feed.