Gas fermentation turns waste gases into sustainable aviation fuel, fish feed, and bioplastics | UQ AIBN

Researchers at the University of Queensland's Biosustainability Hub are using gas fermentation to convert waste gases from steel mills, refineries, and organic waste into valuable products. Microbes that naturally consume carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane are being optimized to produce sustainable aviation fuel, single-cell protein for fish feed, and biodegradable plastics. The technology has already scaled commercially through a partnership with LanzaTech, producing thousands of tons of fuel-grade ethanol per year across multiple continents. The approach offers several advantages over conventional chemical manufacturing. Microbes tolerate impurities like hydrogen sulphide that would destroy traditional catalysts, allowing bioreactors to be placed directly at industrial sites without costly gas purification. The process also produces protein 1000 times more efficiently per square meter than soy farming, using minimal land and water. The researchers have patented a method using two microbes together to consume both methane and CO2 simultaneously, and are now seeking investment to scale their fish feed production for field testing.