Background
The continued reliance on fossil resources for chemical production has increased interest in developing more sustainable alternatives. Biochemicals offer a promising approach by using biological processes to produce chemicals that are traditionally manufactured through conventional methods.
Microorganisms can convert organic compounds into a variety of useful chemicals through processes such as fermentation. These products include alcohols and organic acids, which can serve as fuels, chemical building blocks, and ingredients in a variety of industrial applications.
Our Research
The Alshami Research Group exploits the use of fermentation bacteria, as biocatalyst, to produce biochemicals such as ethanol, 2-3 Butanediol, lactic acid, and acetic acid.
Our research group has circumvented the use of both enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification of the starches via our successful gasification-fermentation hybrid technology.
Our technology uses feedstock such biomass, agricultural wastes, energy crops, municipal solid wastes, and other non-food based feedstocks, and transforms them into synthesis gas through gasification. The product gas is then fermented into useful biochemicals using microbial catalysts.