Targeted conversion of protein and glucose waste streams to volatile fatty acids by metabolic models

Abstract

Mixed-culture fermentations are recognised as suitable processes to valorise organic wastes and convert them into added-value products. One of the main issues of these processes is that the stoichiometry of the fermentations is highly dependent on operational conditions such as the pH or the concentrations of the different substrates. In this work we developed a mathematical model for the production of volatile fatty acids from wastes featuring high concentrations of carbohydrates and proteins. The model reproduces experimental results, predicting the tendencies of the product spectrum when varying pH values and at different proportions of carbohydrates and proteins in the feeding. This model can be the core of a tool for the computer-aided design of mixed-culture fermentations