The overall goal of the project is the commercialization of the methanotrophic bacteria (MB) biotechnology developed by prof. Zofia Stępniewska which allows for turning waste methane into high-grade, ecological products with the help of the bacteria. Putting this technology in widespread use would lower methane emissions to the atmosphere, diminish its load on the greenhouse effect and therefore climate change and at the same time, it would allow for the production of highly ecological materials like: polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), ectoine or high-protein components for animal feed.
Within this project, the goals are validation of the technology and business model, company organization and determining its financing path.
Methane is a threat to both people and the climate. It is an explosive gas when its volume concentration in the air is 4.5-15%, therefore it must be removed from the places where it appears by ventilation, e.g. in coal, salt or copper mines. It is a greenhouse gas whose greenhouse potential is 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide on a 25-year scale. Disposal by incineration is difficult due to the necessity to bring to the appropriate concentration (35-40%) or the use of expensive high-temperature solutions. At concentrations below 0.2%, the devices used so far do not capture methane at all.
The use of MB bio-filters allows for solving or significantly alleviating these problems because it leads not only to the absorption of methane by bacteria, but also to a substantial binding of carbon in the bacterial biomass or synthesized products, therefore it also reduces CO2 emissions, compared to methane combustion. The biomass can be used as a valuable raw material, e.g. for animal feed or for the production of bio-degradable plastics (PHB) or cosmetics and medicines (ectoine).
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the ability to produce bioplastic by the methanotrophic bacteria in the lab and prepare business plans for its potential commercialization.
