Third generation biorefineries harnessing carbon emissions have received significant attention in the
transition towards a sustainable circular economy. However, the direct use of gaseous substrates
comes with several challenges, currently hampering their large scale exploitation. Indeed, gasses
show limited solubility in fermentation media, which restricts productivity. Furthermore, the efficiency
by which the carbon emissions are captured is also relatively low. While efficient anaerobic pathways
exist, they are sensitive to oxygen and have a limited product spectrum. On the other hand, oxygen
insensitive pathways are hampered by photorespiration, increasing the energy demand and reducing
the overall yield. ICONIC aims to solve these issues via two complementary routes: process
intensification and clustering. In the former, the efficiency of carbon capture and utilization will be
improved by investigating advanced gas fermentation process set-ups and conditions allowing to
intensify gas transfer rates and productivity. The second strategy reduces the photorespiration side
reaction by increasing local carbon concentrations, decreasing the reaction of the carbon fixation
pathway with oxygen. Combined, these strategies will result in improved efficiencies and reduced
carbon and energy losses, paving the way for the cost-efficient production of chemicals from gaseous
carbon sources