Thermoanaerobacter brockii subsp. finnii Ako-1

Rising global demand for energy coupled with recent supply-side instability in the petroleum market have prompted renewed calls for the development of alternative fuel sources to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. One such alternative, bioproduced ethanol derived from cellulosic plant materials is a primary alternative for immediate and long-term replacement of fossil fuels. Clostridia are chosen for their proven ability to degrade complex cellulosic polymers, to ferment a variety of cellulosic degradation byproducts to ethanol and to produce beneficial industrial compounds in addition to ethanol. Thermoanaerobacter brockii subsp. finnii (strain ATCC BAA-1853 / DSM 23119 / SP1PR4) is an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium isolated from lake sediment sludge in Africa. It is an efficient producer of ethanol from xylose. Ethanol is the major end product of fermentation from glucose and xylose, but switches to acetate under thiosulfate-respiring conditions. Respiration of thiosulfate is accompanied by increased growth rates and yields, suggesting an increased rate of substrate-level phosphorylation. In addition, thiosulfate reduction can be linked to H2 oxidation which serves to alleviate the toxic effects of H2 concentrations. As such, thiosulfate- reducing species may play a significant role in carbon flux in sulfidogenic environments. (Adapted from: http://genome.jgi-psf.org/thebr/thebr.home.html). (EBI Integr8)