The core of this process is the company’s proprietary strain of Clostridium autoethanogenum, an acetogenic Clostridia, able to utilize carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide plus hydrogen as their sole source of energy and carbon via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. LanzaTech has developed and established a genetic toolbox including gene knock-out and knock-in methods and genetic part libraries from the ground up. Over 20 products have been demonstrated, including fuels such as ethanol and chemicals 2,3-butanediol, acetone or isopropanol. A systems biology approach was used into identify C. autoethanogenum key enzymes and coupling sites for enzymes of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and the central metabolism. This has led to the discovery of a set of novel electron-bifurcating enzyme complexes essential for product synthesis in acetogens enabling LanzaTech to develop effective metabolic engineering strategies.
LanzaTech is operating two 100,000-gallon/year pre-commercial facilities using steel mill gas. The process can use of a range of other gases including biomass and municipal solid waste-derived syngas, reformed biogas and industrial waste gases derived from heavy industry. LanzaTech has demonstrated scalability, efficiency and industrial robustness of the microbial process. Unlike most sugar based fermentation processes, gas fermentation can be operated continuously reducing costs at industrial scale.