5-19: Development of high throughput methods for screening of microorganisms producing hydrocarbon-rich compounds

Microbially-derived hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon rich compounds have great potential to become viable replacements or precursors for advanced biofuels.  Oleaginous microorganisms can naturally accumulate lipids up to 70-80% of their cellular dry weight on glucose-based substrate. Direct microbial conversion of cellulosic feedstocks to hydrocarbon rich compounds are of great interest. However, the lipid production from cellulosic biomass are relatively low and there is great need for screening microorganisms producing high lipids or hydrocarbon-rich compounds on the cellulosic feedstock materials. Analysis of lipids using solvent extraction followed by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry is powerful and accurate but labor-intensive.  Therefore it would be advantageous to have the ability to perform high throughput screening to detected and characterize microorganisms that are capable producing hydrocarbon-rich compounds under targeted conditions.  To accomplish this we are utilizing a number of spectroscopic techniques and tools to characterize the production of these hydrocarbon-rich compounds and implementing these tools for high throughput screening.  Presented will be the results of a developed method for screening microorganisms producing high lipids or hydrocarbon-rich compounds.