Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) and Their Potential in Waste-Based Biorefineries
A special issue of BioTech (ISSN 2673-6284). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Biotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 40
Special Issue Editors
Interests: waste-based biorefinery: bioconversion of organic waste/residues to value added bioproducts; acidogenic fermentation: production of platforms chemicals, animal feed, bioplastics and biofuels; filamentous fungi fermentation: production of biofuels, biomaterial, animal feed and human food; membrane technology and membrane bioreactor (MBR): processes and application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: resource recovery; bioprocesses; biofuels & biochemicals; membrane bioreactors: gas fermentation; GHG mitigation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are delighted to announce a Special Issue of Biotech dedicated to the production, optimization and valorization of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) derived from organic waste, residues, by-products and sidestreams. This Special Issue aims to highlight the pivotal role of bio-based VFAs in advancing waste-based biorefineries and offering sustainable alternatives to fossil-based chemicals.
VFAs are versatile chemical building blocks with wide-ranging applications in industries such as food, feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles and herbicides. While the majority of VFAs in the market are derived from petrochemical refining (constituting approximately 90% of global demand), fermentation-based VFAs present a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative. As intermediates in anaerobic digestion, VFAs have immense potential for transformation into value-added biochemicals and biomaterials, unlocking new opportunities in waste valorization.
This Special Issue seeks to highlight research and innovations in the following key areas:
- Strategies for methanogenesis inhibition, maximizing VFA yields, tailoring acid profiles and exploring diverse waste substrates.
- Developing pathways for converting mixed VFAs into high-value biochemicals such as biofuels and sustainable biomaterials such as bioplastics.
- Addressing challenges in downstream separation, purification and scalability to meet industry demands.
We invite submissions of original research articles, reviews and short communications on the specified aspects of this emerging field.
Dr. Amir Mahboubi Soufiani
Dr. Konstantinos Chandolias
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- methanogenesis inhibition
- optimization of acidogenic fermentation
- VFA profile engineering and analysis
- impurity removal from VFA-rich effluents
- concentration, purification and isolation of VFAs
- biochemicals (e.g., biofuels) from waste-derived VFAs
- biomaterials (e.g., bioplastics) from waste-derived VFAs
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