P11: Towards an integrated process for the biocatalytic production of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA)

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a highly promising biobased replacement for phtalates in resins and polymers [1]. Recently, a lab-scale biocatalytic FDCA production process has been developed using a stress tolerant bacterium, Pseudomonas putida S12, that expresses a specific oxidase from the furan degrading bacterium Cupriavidus basilensis HMF14 [2, 3]. This whole-cell biocatalyst provides a robust alternative to the poisoning-sensitive catalysts employed in chemical FDCA synthesis. In addition, the conversion of the precursor 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to FDCA proceeds to completion, resulting in FDCA titers over 40 g l^-1 with < 0.1 % mono-carboxylated furans. 

The lab-scale biocatalytic production of FDCA is presently further developed, a.o., in the framework of the BE-Basic programme (www.be-basic.org), to a pilot- and eventually full-scale process. Several key issues must be addressed, such as the availability and suitability of cheap (i.e., raw) HMF streams, upscaling of the P. putida fermentation, recovery and (ultra-)purification of FDCA from the fermentation broth, and application development. Further details will be discussed in the poster.

1. Werpy T, Petersen G. (2004) U.S. Department of Energy; NREL/TP-510-35523

2. Koopman, FW, Wierckx NJP, De Winde JH, Ruijssenaars HJ (2010) Biores Technol 101: 6291-6196

3. Koopman, FW, Wierckx NJP, De Winde JH, Ruijssenaars HJ (2010) Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 107: 4919-4924