Comparison of three screening methods to select mixed-microbial inoculum for mixed-acid fermentations

► Carboxylate platform converts biomass into hydrocarbons and chemicals. ► Developed method to identify highest performing inoculum. ► Five bacterial communities were screened and ranked by three fermentation performance tests. ► Three screens are a useful and predictive method for choosing optimal inocula sources. ► Three screens do no predict worst-performing communities.