Description: Mango Materials and Colorado School of Mines (CSM) propose several objectives to advance the work begun in their Phase II STTR. The proposed work will implement additional controls to achieve high PHA production from methane in a membrane-based bioreactor and further enable a closed-loop process by optimizing the use of recycled water and urea, a waste nitrogen source. CSM will focus on optimizing its lab-scale membrane bioreactor system for future use in space by achieving industrially-relevant gas utilization efficiencies and biomass densities in its membrane-based bioreactor. Additional sensors will be added to the system to achieve better process control and accomplish this goal. Mango Materials will focus on working towards a process with a closed material loop. Mango Materials will optimize the use of urea as an inexpensive, potentially waste nitrogen source for methanotrophic growth and PHA production. The company will also advance its technology to reuse water recovered from various steps in downstream processing as a base for media and feeds. Several objectives funded by the external investment will advance commercialization of a PHA-based compound that can be made into fibers. In addition to optimizing the composition and processing conditions for the compound, the circularity of the material will be tested. Finally, prototype products (textiles and/or 3D printed items) will be produced to demonstrate commercial viability on Earth and in outer space.

Benefits: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) produced from methane in a closed-loop fashion can be used in many plastic-like applications. For example, sustainable PHAs can be produced and formed into filaments that could be used for 3-D printing applications, such as flatware or urine funnels on space missions. PHAs can also be used to produce textiles, such as clothing, that could be useful for space missions. Another, different application of PHA is use as nutritional supplements.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a substitute for conventional plastic goods including textiles, microbeads, packaging, childrens’ toys, electronic casings, and coatings. These materials can be fully biodigestable and converted back into carbon using microbial processes. This carbon can enter the natural carbon cycle and prevent additional carbon from affecting the atmosphere.