Clostridium sp. P21 Genome sequencing and assembly

Acetogens are a group of obligately anaerobic bacteria that use the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for the production of acids, particularly acetic acid and butyrate from carbon dioxide. Acetogens are unique in that they produce ethanol, butanol, acetic acid and butyrate from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which is why they are the key microbes involved in syngas fermentation. In recent years there has been a shift in decreasing the global carbon footprint by increasing the use of biofuels as a renewable energy source. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of a novel acetogenic Clostridium isolated from old hay, P21, whose nearest neighbor is Clostridium carboxidivorans, a known commercially exploited acetogen, in order to determine its capability to be used to enhance syngas fermentation for the production of biofuels.