Conversion of Biomass to Chemicals via Electrofermentation of Lactic Acid Bacteria

Microbial electrosynthesis is the process of supplying electrons to microorganisms to reduce CO2 and yield industrially relevant products. Such systems are limited by their requirement for high currents, resulting in challenges to cell survival. Electrofermentation is an electron-efficient form of microbial electrosynthesis in which a small cathodic or anodic current is provided to a culture to alter the oxidation-reduction potential of the medium and, in turn, alter microbial metabolism. This approach has been successfully utilised to increase yields of diverse products including biogas, butanediol and lactate. Biomass conversion to lactate is frequently facilitated by ensiling plant biomass with homofermentative lactic acid bacteria. Although most commonly used as a preservative in ensiled animal feed, lactate has diverse industrial applications as a precursor for the production of probiotics, biofuels, bioplastics and platform chemicals. Lactate yields by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are constrained by a number of redox limitations which must be overcome while maintaining profitability and sustainability. To date, electrofermentation has not been scaled past laboratory- or pilot-stage reactions. The increasing ease of genetic modification in a wide range of LAB species may prove key to overcoming some of the pitfalls of electrofermentation at commercial scale. This review explores the history of electrofermentation as a tool for controlling redox balance within bacterial biocatalysts, and the potential for electrofermentation to increase lactate production from low-value plant biomass.