Mycoprotein Production by Submerged Fermentation of the Edible Mushroom in a Batch Stirred Tank Bioreactor Using Agro-Industrial Hydrolysate.

The demand for cheap, healthy, and sustainable alternative protein sources has turned research interest into microbial proteins. Mycoproteins prevail due to their quite balanced amino acid profile, low carbon footprint and high sustainability potential. The goal of this research was to investigate the capability of to metabolize the main sugars of agro-industrial side streams, such as aspen wood chips hydrolysate, to produce high-value protein with low cost.

Bioprocess optimization for lactic and succinic acid production from a pulp and paper industry side stream.

The effective and cheap production of platform chemicals is a crucial step towards the transition to a bio-based economy. In this work, biotechnological methods using sustainable, cheap, and readily available raw materials bring bio-economy and industrial microbiology together: Microbial production of two platform chemicals is demonstrated [lactic (LA) and succinic acid (SA)] from a non-expensive side stream of pulp and paper industry (fibre sludge) proposing a sustainable way to valorize it towards economically important monomers for bioplastics formation. This work showed a promising new route for their microbial production which can pave the way for new market expectations within the circular economy principles.

A cellulolytic fungal biofilm enhances the consolidated bioconversion of cellulose to short chain fatty acids by the rumen microbiome.

The ability of the multispecies biofilm membrane reactors (MBM reactors) to provide distinguished niches for aerobic and anaerobic microbes at the same time was used for the investigation of the consolidated bioprocessing of cellulose to short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). A consortium based consolidated bioprocess (CBP) was designed. The rumen microbiome was used as the converting microbial consortium, co-cultivated with selected individual aerobic fungi which formed a biofilm on the tubular membrane flushed with oxygen.

A Multispecies Fungal Biofilm Approach to Enhance the Celluloyltic Efficiency of Membrane Reactors for Consolidated Bioprocessing of Plant Biomass.

The constraints and advantages in cellulolytic enzymes production by fungal biofilms for a consolidated bioconversion process were investigated during this study. The biofilm cultivations were carried out in reactors designed for consolidated bioprocessing Multispecies Biofilm Membrane reactors, (MBM) where an aerobic fungal biofilm produces the lignocellulolytic enzymes while a fermenting microorganism forms the fermentation product at anaerobic conditions. It was shown that although mycelial growth was limited in the MBM reactors compared to submerged cultivations, the secretion of cellulolytic enzymes per cell dry weight was higher.

Life cycle impacts of ethanol production from spruce wood chips under high-gravity conditions.

Background: Development of more sustainable biofuel production processes is ongoing, and technology to run these processes at a high dry matter content, also called high-gravity conditions, is one option. This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) of such a technology currently in development for the production of bio-ethanol from spruce wood chips.

Results: The cradle-to-gate LCA used lab results from a set of 30 experiments (or process configurations) in which the main process variable was the detoxification strategy applied to the pretreated feedstock material.

Ethanol effect on metabolic activity of the ethalogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum.

Background: Fusarium oxysporum is a filamentous fungus which has attracted a lot of scientific interest not only due to its ability to produce a variety of lignocellulolytic enzymes, but also because it is able to ferment both hexoses and pentoses to ethanol. Although this fungus has been studied a lot as a cell factory, regarding applications for the production of bioethanol and other high added value products, no systematic study has been performed concerning its ethanol tolerance levels.

Results: In aerobic conditions it was shown that both the biomass production and the specific growth rate were affected by the presence of ethanol.

Fermentation performance and physiology of two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during growth in high gravity spruce hydrolysate and spent sulphite liquor.

Background: Lignocellulosic materials are a diverse group of substrates that are generally scarce in nutrients, which compromises the tolerance and fermentation performance of the fermenting organism. The problem is exacerbated by harsh pre-treatment, which introduces sugars and substances inhibitory to yeast metabolism. This study compares the fermentation behaviours of two yeast strains using different types of lignocellulosic substrates; high gravity dilute acid spruce hydrolysate (SH) and spent sulphite liquor (SSL), in the absence and presence of yeast extract.

Lignocellulosic ethanol production at high-gravity: challenges and perspectives.

In brewing and ethanol-based biofuel industries, high-gravity fermentation produces 10-15% (v/v) ethanol, resulting in improved overall productivity, reduced capital cost, and reduced energy input compared to processing at normal gravity. High-gravity technology ensures a successful implementation of cellulose to ethanol conversion as a cost-competitive process. Implementation of such technologies is possible if all process steps can be performed at high biomass concentrations.

Factors affecting cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysis of alkali treated brewers spent grain by Fusarium oxysporum enzyme extract.

The enzymatic degradation of polysaccharides to monosaccharides is an essential step in bioconversion processes of lignocellulosic materials. Alkali treated brewers spent grain was used as a model substrate for the study of cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysis by Fusarium oxysporum enzyme extract. The results obtained showed that cellulose and hemicellulose conversions are not affected by the same factors, implementing different strategies for a successful bioconversion.

Factors affecting ferulic acid release from Brewer's spent grain by Fusarium oxysporum enzymatic system.

In this study, the factors affecting ferulic acid (FA) release from Brewer's spent grain (BSG), by the crude enzyme extract of Fusarium oxysporum were investigated. In order to evaluate the importance of the multienzyme preparation on FA release, the synergistic action of feruloyl esterase (FAE, FoFaeC-12213) and xylanase (Trichoderma longibrachiatum M3) monoenzymes was studied. More than double amount of FA release (1 mg g(-1) dry BSG) was observed during hydrolytic reactions by the crude enzyme extract compared to hydrolysis by the monoenzymes (0.

Evaluation of Fusarium oxysporum cellulolytic system for an efficient hydrolysis of hydrothermally treated wheat straw.

The crude multienzyme extract produced by Fusarium oxysporum cultivated under submerged conditions in 20 L bioreactor using brewers spent grain and corn cobs in a ratio 2:1 as the carbon source was evaluated with regard to an efficient saccharification of hydrothermally treated wheat straw. Several factors concerning the obtained hydrolysis yield and reaction rate were investigated. The takeout of product sugars (in situ) was effective at reducing end-product inhibition and lead to a bioconversion about 80% of the theoretical.

Enhanced ethanol production from brewer's spent grain by a Fusarium oxysporum consolidated system.

Background: Brewer's spent grain (BG), a by-product of the brewing process, is attracting increasing scientific interest as a low-cost feedstock for many biotechnological applications. BG in the present study is evaluated as a substrate for lignocellulolytic enzyme production and for the production of ethanol by the mesophilic fungus Fusarium oxysporum under submerged conditions, implementing a consolidated bioconversion process. Fermentation experiments were performed with sugar mixtures simulating the carbohydrate content of BG in order to determine the utilization pattern that could be expected during the fermentation of the cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysate of BG.