Enzymes for Methane Conversion

Default ARPA-E Project Image

Program:
REMOTE
Award:
$3,500,000
Location:
Berkeley, California
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
01/01/2014 - 12/31/2016
Website:

Technology Description:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is genetically engineering a bacterium called Methylococcus in order to produce an enzyme that binds methane with a common fuel precursor to create a liquid fuel. This process relies on methylation, a reaction that requires no oxygen or energy inputs but has never been applied to methane conversion.” First, LBNL will construct a unique enzyme called a “PEP methylase” from an existing enzyme. The team will then bioengineer new metabolic pathways for assimilating methane and conversion to liquid fuels.

Potential Impact:

If successful, LBNL’s process will enable low-cost, energy-efficient fuel production from methane found in natural gas creating a new industry for liquid fuel conversion of natural gas, methane waste streams, and biogas.

Security:

An improved bioconversion process could create cost-competitive liquid fuels significantly reducing demand for foreign oil.

Environment:

This technology would allow for utilization of small-scale remote natural gas resources or methane and carbon rich gas residues for fuel production reducing harmful emissions associated with conventional fuel technologies.

Economy:

Expanding U.S. natural gas resources via bioconversion to liquid fuels could contribute tens of billions of dollars to the nation's economy while reducing or stabilizing transport fuel prices.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Marc von Keitz
Project Contact:
Prof. Romy Chakraborty
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
rchakraborty@lbl.gov

Partners

Novici Biotech LLC
Kiverdi
Microvi Biotechnologies

Related Projects

• Arzeda - Metalloenzymes for Methane Activation
• Calysta Energy - Bioreactor Designs for Rapid Fermentation
• Coskata - Methanol Fermentation in Clostridium Bacteria
• GreenLight Biosciences - Cell-Free Bioconversion of Natural Gas
• LanzaTech - Bioreactor with Improved Methane Transfer
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) - Enzymes for Methane Conversion
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Single-Step Methane to Liquid Fuels
• MOgene Green Chemicals - Sunlight-Assisted Methane Conversion
• Northwestern University - New Synthetic Catalysts for Methane Activation
• Oregon State University (OSU) - Bioreactor Using Ultra-Thin Plates
• Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) - Methane-to-Acetate
• University of California, Davis (UC Davis) - Ethylene-to-Butanol
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Synthetic Pathway for Methanol Conversion
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Renewable Production of Commodity Chemicals
• University of Delaware (UD) - Methanol to Liquid Fuel
• University of Michigan - Methane-to-Methanol

Release Date:
03/15/2013