Highly Efficient 2,3-Butanediol Production by Bacillus licheniformis via Complex Optimization of Nutritional and Technological Parameters

2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) is a reagent with remarkable commercial use as a platform chemical in numerous industries. The present study aims to determine the capabilities of non-pathogenic and cellulolytic Bacillus licheniformis 24 as a 2,3-BD producer. By applying the Plackett–Burman design and response surface methodology through central composite design (CCD), a complex optimization of medium and process parameters was conducted. Thus, among ten studied factors of medium content, four components were evaluated with a significant positive effect on 2,3-BD formation. Their optimal values for 2,3-BD production (yeast extract, 13.38 g/L; tryptone, 6.41 g/L; K2HPO4, 4.2 g/L; MgSO4, 0.32 g/L), as well as the optimal temperature (37.8 °C), pH (6.23) and aeration rate (3.68 vvm) were predicted by CCD experiments and validated in a series of batch processes. In optimized batch fermentation of 200 g/L of glucose 91.23 g/L of 2,3-BD was obtained, with the overall productivity of 1.94 g/L/h and yield of 0.488 g/g. To reveal the maximum 2,3-BD tolerance of B. licheniformis 24, fed-batch fermentation was carried out. The obtained 138.8 g/L of 2,3-BD with a yield of 0.479 g/g and productivity of 1.16 g/L/h ranks the strain among the best 2,3-BD producers.