Formatotrophic Production of Poly-beta-hydroxybutyric Acid (PHB) from Methylobacterium sp. using Formate as the Sole Carbon and Energy Source

Formate has been considered as an environmentally sustainable feedstock that can be used to accelerate the production of valuable chemicals. This study presents brief results of the formatotrophic production of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) by Methylobacterium sp. To evaluate the production of PHB, five species of Methylobacteria were tested using formate as the sole carbon and energy source. Methylobacterium chloromethanicum CM4 exhibited the highest productivity of PHB, which showed 1.72 g/L PHB production, 32.4% PHB content, and 0.027 g-PHB/g-formate PHB yield. These results could be used for the formatotrophic production of PHB with the concurrent reduction of CO2 to formate.