The invention described herein presents compositions and methods for a
multistep biological and chemical process for the capture and conversion
of carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon into organic
chemicals including biofuels or other useful industrial, chemical,
pharmaceutical, or biomass products. One or more process steps in the
present invention utilizes chemoautotrophic microorganisms to fix
inorganic carbon into organic compounds through chemosynthesis. An
additional feature of the present invention describes process steps
whereby electron donors used for the chemosynthetic fixation of carbon
are generated by chemical or electrochemical means, or are produced from
inorganic or waste sources. An additional feature of the present
invention describes process steps for the recovery of useful chemicals
produced by the carbon dioxide capture and conversion process, both from
chemosynthetic reaction steps, as well as from non-biological reaction
steps.