Carbon monoxide conversion by anaerobic microbiome in a thermophilic trickle bed reactor

Biomethanation offers a promising route for the valorization of synthesis gas, yet significant challenges arise from the limited conversion of carbon monoxide (CO). This study investigated the adaptation of an anaerobic microbiome in a continuous trickle bed reactor (TBR) with CO as the sole carbon and energy source. We evaluated reactor performance and microbial community changes under different CO loading rates and gas retention times (GRT). Optimal performance was achieved at a CO loading rate of 5.16 Nm³ m⁻³ d⁻¹ and a GRT of 60.6 min, resulting in average production rates of 0.99 Nm³ m⁻³ d⁻¹ for CH₄ and 2.55 Nm⁻³ m⁻³ d⁻¹ for CO₂, with an 88 % CO conversion rate. Microbial analysis indicated that the community was dominated by the genus Methanothermobacter, known for its ability to utilize CO as a sole substrate, followed by a co-dominance of syntrophic acetate-oxidizing bacteria Syntrophaceticus. This syntrophic relationship between Methanothermobacter and Syntrophaceticus is expected to be crucial for the efficient CO conversion process. Additionally, the study proposes a two-reactor system for converting synthesis gas to grid-quality methane.