We demonstrated that a temperature-phased anaerobic bioprocess can convert acid whey from Greek-yogurt production into valuable medium-chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs). Thermophilic and mildly acidic conditions in the first phase promoted a Lactobacillus spp.-dominated microbiome that converted sugars from acid whey into lactic acid. The lactic acid-rich effluent was then fed to a mesophilic second phase in which a more diverse microbiome performed chain elongation to produce MCCAs. The overall SCOD conversion efficiency for acid-whey conversion into MCCAs was 53.5%.
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