Methanol production from simulated biogas mixtures by co-immobilized Methylomonas methanica and Methylocella tundrae

•The co-culture of Methanotrophs is effective to produce methanol using simulated biogases.•The silica-gel based encapsulated co-culture is an effective approach for methanol production.•This is the first report of methanol production from immobilized co-cultures using biogas. In the present study, co-cultures of the methanotrophs Methylocella tundrae, Methyloferula stellata, and Methylomonas methanica were evaluated for improving methanol production with their application. Among the different combinations, the co-culture of M. tundrae and M. methanica increased methanol production to 4.87 mM using methane (CH4) as feed. When simulated biogas mixtures were used as feed, the maximum methanol production was improved to 8.66, 8.45, and 9.65 mM by free and encapsulated co-cultures in 2% alginate and silica-gel, respectively. Under repeated batch conditions, free and immobilized co-cultures using alginate and silica-gel resulted in high cumulative production, up to 24.43, 35.95, and 47.35 mM, using simulated biohythane (CH4 and hydrogen), respectively. This is the first report of methanol production from defined free and immobilized co-cultures using simulated biogas mixtures as feed.