Increase the amount of acetic acid produced:

• Certain waste streams will have different compositions. The waste streams will have to be analyzed individually to see which yield the most acetic acid.

Eliminate methane production through anaerobic digestion:

• Virginia Tech's waste is mostly composted; however, this method creates methane, a greenhouse gas. In anaerobic digestion, acetic acid will be produced instead.

Analyze the anaerobic digestion products:

• Each waste stream will undergo anaerobic digestion. The composition of the products from each sample will be analyzed through a HPLC.

Design a way to convert acetic acid to glutamic acid:

• The conversion will require enzymes produced by cell free protein synthesis.

  • Hard to get operational in the given time limit

• Use Fermentation to produce glutamic acid

Determine the best strain to convert acetic acid to glutamic acid:

• Corynebacterium glutamicum

Order and grow Corynebacterium glutamicum

Run experiments with Corynebacterium glutamicum:

• Determine if Corynebacterium glutamicum will grow on acetic acid

• Use Raman Spectroscopy to measure glutamic acid production

• Develop kinematic model for chemical reaction

Develop a design schematic or process flow diagram to describe the process:

• Using SuperPro Designer v8.5, a process flow diagram will be created to show all that is entailed in the process

  • Optimize design

  • Accurately simulate process