Metabolic modelling uncovers the complex interplay between fungal probiotics, poultry microbiomes, and diet.

Background: The search for alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production has increased interest in probiotics. However, the complexity of the interactions between probiotics, gut microbiome, and the host hinders the development of effective probiotic interventions. This study explores metabolic modelling to examine the possibility of designing informed probiotic interventions within poultry production.

Mechanochemical extraction of edible proteins from moor grass.

Extracting edible nutrient-rich food fractions from unconventional sources, such as grass, could play a pivotal role in ensuring food security, bolstering economic prosperity, combating climate change, and enhancing overall quality of life. Current extraction techniques rely heavily on harsh chemicals, which not only degrade nutrients but can also substantially add to the cost of the process and make downstream separation challenging. In this study, we harnessed a mechanochemical process, liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) with and without NaCO, termed sodium carbonate assisted grinding (SAG), to extract the protein fraction from moor grass.

A Highly Active and Selective Zirconium-Based Catalyst System for the Industrial Production of Poly(lactic acid).

The biodegradable, aliphatic polyester poly(lactic acid), PLA, is a leading bio-based alternative to petrochemical-derived plastic materials across a range of applications. Widely reported in the available literature as a benchmark for PLA production the bulk ring-opening polymerization of lactides is the use of divalent tin catalysts, and particularly tin(II) bis(2-ethylhexanoate). We present an alternative zirconium-based system that combines an inexpensive Group IV metal with the robustness, high activity, control, and designed compatibility with existing facilities and processes, that are required for industrial use.

The Oleaginous Yeast Displays Killer Activity against Avian-Derived Pathogenic Bacteria.

is a non-conventional yeast with potential to be used in biotechnological processes, especially those involving low-cost feedstock exploitation and biocontrol applications. The combination of traits that supports these industrial applications in also makes it an attractive option to study in the context of livestock health. In this study, we examined the specific interactions between and multiple avian pathogenic bacteria.

The history, state of the art and future prospects for oleaginous yeast research.

Lipid-based biofuels, such as biodiesel and hydroprocessed esters, are a central part of the global initiative to reduce the environmental impact of the transport sector. The vast majority of production is currently from first-generation feedstocks, such as rapeseed oil, and waste cooking oils. However, the increased exploitation of soybean oil and palm oil has led to vast deforestation, smog emissions and heavily impacted on biodiversity in tropical regions.

Using techno-economic modelling to determine the minimum cost possible for a microbial palm oil substitute.

Background: Heterotrophic single-cell oils (SCOs) are one potential replacement to lipid-derived biofuels sourced from first-generation crops such as palm oil. However, despite a large experimental research effort in this area, there are only a handful of techno-economic modelling publications. As such, there is little understanding of whether SCOs are, or could ever be, a potential competitive replacement.

Valorizing Plastic-Contaminated Waste Streams through the Catalytic Hydrothermal Processing of Polypropylene with Lignocellulose.

Food waste is a promising resource for the production of fuels and chemicals. However, increasing plastic contamination has a large impact on the efficiency of conversion for the more established biological routes such as anaerobic digestion or fermentation. Here, we assessed a novel route through the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of a model waste (pistachio hulls) and polypropylene (PP).

Semi-continuous pilot-scale microbial oil production with on starch hydrolysate.

Background: Heterotrophic microbial oils are potentially a more sustainable alternative to vegetable or fossil oils for food and fuel applications. However, as almost all work in the area is conducted on the laboratory scale, such studies carry limited industrial relevance and do not give a clear indication of what is required to produce an actual industrial process. is a non-pathogenic industrially promising oleaginous yeast which exhibits numerous advantages for cost-effective lipid production, including a wide substrate uptake, antimicrobial activity and fermentation inhibitor tolerance.

Coproducts of algae and yeast-derived single cell oils: A critical review of their role in improving biorefinery sustainability.

Oleaginous microalgae and yeast are of increasing interest as a renewable resource for single cell oils (SCOs). These have applications in fuels, feed and food products. In order to become cost competitive with existing terrestrial oils, a biorefinery approach is often taken where several product streams are valorised alongside the SCO.

Co-processing of common plastics with pistachio hulls via hydrothermal liquefaction.

Mixed, wet, plastic streams containing food waste residues are being increasingly collected at point of use, but are extremely challenging to recycle and are therefore largely sent to landfill. While a challenging waste problem, this also represents an underutilised feedstock, which could be co-processed with biomass, increasing the scope of products, easing out seasonal variation in biomass production and increasing the production capacity of a traditional biorefinery. One promising method of biomass conversion is hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), where lignocellulosic residues are broken down in water at high temperatures and pressures to produce a bio-crude oil, a solid residue and an aqueous fertiliser.

Achieving a high-density oleaginous yeast culture: Comparison of four processing strategies using Metschnikowia pulcherrima.

Microbial lipids have the potential to displace terrestrial oils for fuel, value chemical, and food production, curbing the growth in tropical oil plantations and helping to reduce deforestation. However, commercialization remains elusive partly due to the lack of suitably robust organisms and their low lipid productivity. Extremely high cell densities in oleaginous cultures are needed to increase reaction rates, reduce reactor volume, and facilitate downstream processing.

Zeolite Y supported nickel phosphide catalysts for the hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline as a proxy for crude bio-oils from hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae.

This work demonstrates the potential of zeolite Y supported nickel phosphide materials as highly active catalysts for the upgrading of bio-oil as an improved alternative to noble metal and transition metal sulphide systems. Our systematic work studied the effect of using different counterions (NH, H, K and Na) and Si/Al ratios (2.56 and 15) of the zeolite Y.

Fast microwave-assisted acidolysis: a new biorefinery approach for the zero-waste utilisation of lignocellulosic biomass to produce high quality lignin and fermentable saccharides.

Generally, biorefineries convert lignocellulosic biomass into a range of biofuels and further value added chemicals. However, conventional biorefinery processes focus mainly on the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions and therefore produce only low quality lignin, which is commonly burnt to provide process heat. To make full use of the biomass, more attention needs to be focused on novel separation techniques, where high quality lignin can be isolated that is suitable for further valorisation into aromatic chemicals and fuel components.

The Effect of Functional Groups in Bio-Derived Fuel Candidates.

Interest in developing renewable fuels is continuing to grow and biomass represents a viable source of renewable carbon with which to replace fossil-based components in transportation fuels. During our own work, we noticed that chemists think in terms of functional groups whereas fuel engineers think in terms of physical fuel properties. In this Concept article, we discuss the effect of carbon and oxygen functional groups on potential fuel properties.

Co-production of bio-oil and propylene through the hydrothermal liquefaction of polyhydroxybutyrate producing cyanobacteria.

A polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producing cyanobacteria was converted through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) into propylene and a bio-oil suitable for advanced biofuel production. HTL of model compounds demonstrated that in contrast to proteins and carbohydrates, no synergistic effects were detected when converting PHB in the presence of algae. Subsequently, Synechocystis cf.

Low-cost lipid production by an oleaginous yeast cultured in non-sterile conditions using model waste resources.

Background: The yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrima, previously utilised as a biological control agent, was evaluated for its potential to produce lipids for biofuel production.

Results: Cultivation in low cost non-sterile conditions was achieved by exploiting its ability to grow at low temperature and pH and to produce natural antimicrobial compounds. Although not previously classified as oleaginous, a combination of low temperature and restricted nutrient availability triggered high levels of oil production in M.

Synthesis and structural characterization of group 4 metal alkoxide complexes of N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine and their use as initiators in the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-lactide under industrially relevant conditions.

A series of N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (TOEEDH4) ligand precursors and their group 4 metal complexes have been prepared. The complexes have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and (1)H NMR spectroscopy, highlighting the ability to systematically vary the number of TOEED ligands within the system. Initial catalytic data for the solvent-free, ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide (rac-LA), a promising degradable polymer produced from renewable resources, is reported.

Renewable biofuel additives from the ozonolysis of lignin.

In this investigation ozonolysis in the presence of ethanol was used to depolymerise lignin, resulting in a low conversion of oxygenated aromatics over short reaction times, or a range of saturated esters over 24 h. Short chain oxygenates can be used as fuel additives, displacing a percentage of a hydrocarbon fuel while leading to improvement in some of the fuel properties. The utility of the resulting bio-oils was therefore assessed by blending with a range of fuels.

Bioprospecting the thermal waters of the Roman baths: isolation of oleaginous species and analysis of the FAME profile for biodiesel production.

The extensive diversity of microalgae provides an opportunity to undertake bioprospecting for species possessing features suited to commercial scale cultivation. The outdoor cultivation of microalgae is subject to extreme temperature fluctuations; temperature tolerant microalgae would help mitigate this problem. The waters of the Roman Baths, which have a temperature range between 39°C and 46°C, were sampled for microalgae.

Air-stable titanium alkoxide based metal-organic framework as an initiator for ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters.

An air-stable titanium-organic framework, prepared from Ti(OiPr)4 and 1,4-butanediol, has been characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing a unique supramolecular structure. Its functionality as a highly active initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters is demonstrated. A discrete titanium trimer containing the related ligand (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol has also been prepared, and it shows analogous activity as a polymerization initiator.