Heading for an economic industrial upgrading of crude glycerol from biodiesel production to 1,3-propanediol by Lactobacillus diolivorans

•Lactobacillus diolivorans efficiently converts crude glycerol to 1,3-propanediol.•L. diolivorans is not inhibited by 0.7g/l furfural and 0.3g/l 5-HMF.•Conversion of biobased resources to up to 85g/l with a productivity of 0.45g/lh. Lactobacillus diolivorans was evaluated as a potential organism for production of 1,3-propanediol under industrially relevant conditions. Crude glycerol of different origins has been tested and showed no inhibitory effects on growth or production. Using crude glycerol from biodiesel production from palm oil 85g/l 1,3-propanediol have been obtained with a productivity of 0.45g/lh in a fed-batch cultivation. Sugar necessary for the formation of biomass was replaced with a hydrolysate from lignocellulosic material resulting in 75g/l 1,3-propanediol and a productivity of 0.36g/lh. Lignocellulosic hydrolysate contained the potential inhibitors furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural at concentrations of 0.7 and 0.3g/l, respectively. Addition of furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to batch cultures in said concentrations did not show inhibitory effects on growth or 1,3-propanediol production.