Bioconversion of a Lignocellulosic Hydrolysate to Single Cell Oil for Biofuel Production in a Cost-Efficient Fermentation Process
Zora S. Rerop,
Nikolaus I. Stellner,
Petra Graban,
Martina Haack,
Norbert Mehlmer,
Mahmoud Masri,
Thomas B. Brück
Affiliations
Zora S. Rerop
Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Nikolaus I. Stellner
Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Petra Graban
Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Martina Haack
Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Norbert Mehlmer
Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Mahmoud Masri
Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Thomas B. Brück
Werner Siemens-Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus is a highly efficient single cell oil producer, which in addition to hexoses and pentoses can metabolize organic acids. In this study, fed-batch cultivation with consumption-based acetic acid feeding was further developed to integrate the transformation of an industrial paper mill lignocellulosic hydrolysate (LCH) into yeast oil. Employing pentose-rich LCH as a carbon source instead of glucose significantly improved both biomass formation and lipid titer, reaching 55.73 ± 5.20 g/L and 42.1 ± 1.7 g/L (75.5% lipid per biomass), respectively. This hybrid approach of using acetic acid and LCH in one process was further optimized to increase the share of bioavailable carbon from LCH using a combination of consumption-based and continuous feeding. Finally, the techno-economic analysis revealed a 26% cost reduction when using LCH instead of commercial glucose. In summary, we developed a process leading to a holistic approach to valorizing a pentose-rich industrial waste by converting it into oleochemicals.
