Ali Mohagheghi

High Solids Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation of Pretreated Wheat Straw to Ethanol

Wheat straw was pretreated with dilute (0.5%) sulfuric acid at 140°C for 1 h. Pretreated straw solids were washed with deionized water to neutrality and then stored frozen at –20°C. The approximate composition of the pretreated straw solids was 64% cellulose, 33% lignin, and 2% xylan. The cellulose in the pretreated wheat straw solids was converted to ethanol in batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation experiments at 37°C using cellulase enzyme fromTrichoderma reesei (Genencor 150 L) with or without supplementation with β–glucosidase fromAspergillus niger (Novozyme 188) to produce glucose sugar and the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae to ferment the glucose into ethanol. The initial cellulose concentrations were adjusted to 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, and 20% (w/w). Since wheat straw particles do not form slurries at these concentrations and cannot be mixed with conventional impeller mixers used in laboratory fermenters, a simple rotary fermenter was designed and fabricated for these experiments. The results of the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) experiments indicate that the cellulose in pretreated wheat straw can be efficiently fermented into ethanol for up to a 15% cellulose concentration (24.4% straw concentration).

Cofermentation of glucose, xylose, and arabinose by genomic DNA-integrated xylose/arabinose fermenting strain of Zymomonas mobilis AX101

Cofermentation of glucose, xylose, and arabinose is critical for complete bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass, such as agricultural residues and herbaceous energy crops, to ethanol. We have previously developed a plasmid-bearing strain of Zymomonas mobilis (206C[pZB301]) capable of cofermenting glucose, xylose, and arabinose to ethanol. To enhance its genetic stability, several genomic DNA-integrated strains of Z. mobilis have been developed through the insertion of all seven genes necessay for xylose and arabinose fermentation into the Zymomonas genome. From all the integrants developed, four were selected for further evaluation. The integrants were tested for stability by repeated transfer in a nonselective medium (containing only glucose). Based on the stability test, one of the integrants (AX101) was selected for further evaluation. A series of batch and continuous fermentations was designed to evaluate the cofermentation of glucose, xylose, and L-arabinose with the strain AX101. The pH range of study was 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 at 30 degrees C. The cofermentation process yield was about 84%, which is about the same as that of plasmid-bearing strain 206C(pZB301). Although cofermentation of all three sugars was achieved, there was a preferential order of sugar utilization: glucose first, then xylose, and arabinose last.

An interlaboratory comparison of the performance of ethanol-producing micro-organisms in a xylose-rich acid hydroysate

A xylose-rich, dilute-acid-pretreated corncob hydrolase was fermented by Escherichia coli ATCC 11303, recombinant (rec) E. coli (pLOI 297 and KO11), Pichia stipitis (CBS 5773, 6054 adn R), Saccharomyces cerevisiae siolate 3 in combination with xylose isomerase, rec S. cerevisiae (TJ1, H550 and H477), and Fusraium oxysporum VIT-D-80134 in an interlaboratory comparison. The micro-organisms were studied according to three different options: (A) fermentation under consistent conditions, (B) fermentation under optimal conditions for the organisms, and (C) fermentation under optimal conditions for the organism with detoxification if the hydrolysate. The highest yields of tehanol, 0.24 g/g (A), 0.36 g/g (B) and 0.54 g/g (C), were obtained from rec E. coli B, KO11. P. stipitis and F. oxysporum were sensitive to the inhibitors present in the hydrolysate and produced a minimum yields of 0.34 g/g (C) and 0.04 g/g (B), respectively. The analysis of the corn-cob hydrolysate and aspects of process economy of the different fermentation options (pH, sterilization, nutrient supplementation, adaptation, detoxification) are discussed.

Simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation of dilute-acid pretreated yellow poplar hardwood to ethanol using xylose-fermenting Zymomonas mobilis.

Simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF) was carried out at approximately 15% total solids using conditioned dilute-acid pretreated yellow poplar feedstock, an adapted variant of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) xylose-fermenting Zymomonas mobilis and either commercial or NREL-produced cellulase enzyme preparations. In 7 d, at a cellulase loading of 12 filter paper units pergram cellulose (FPU/g), the integrated system produced more than 3% w/v ethanol and achieved 54% conversion of all potentially available biomass sugars (total sugars) entering SSCF. A control SSCF employing Sigmacell cellulose and a commercial cellulase at an enzyme loading of 14 FPU/gachieved 65% conversion of total sugars to ethanol.

Inhibition of growth of Zymomonas mobilis by model compounds found in lignocellulosic hydrolysates

BackgroundDuring the pretreatment of biomass feedstocks and subsequent conditioning prior to saccharification, many toxic compounds are produced or introduced which inhibit microbial growth and in many cases, production of ethanol. An understanding of the toxic effects of compounds found in hydrolysate is critical to improving sugar utilization and ethanol yields in the fermentation process. In this study, we established a useful tool for surveying hydrolysate toxicity by measuring growth rates in the presence of toxic compounds, and examined the effects of selected model inhibitors of aldehydes, organic and inorganic acids (along with various cations), and alcohols on growth of Zymomonas mobilis 8b (a ZM4 derivative) using glucose or xylose as the carbon source.ResultsToxicity strongly correlated to hydrophobicity in Z. mobilis, which has been observed in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae for aldehydes and with some exceptions, organic acids. We observed Z. mobilis 8b to be more tolerant to organic acids than previously reported, although the carbon source and growth conditions play a role in tolerance. Growth in xylose was profoundly inhibited by monocarboxylic organic acids compared to growth in glucose, whereas dicarboxylic acids demonstrated little or no effects on growth rate in either substrate. Furthermore, cations can be ranked in order of their toxicity, Ca++ > > Na+ > NH4+ > K+. HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural), furfural and acetate, which were observed to contribute to inhibition of Z. mobilis growth in dilute acid pretreated corn stover hydrolysate, do not interact in a synergistic manner in combination. We provide further evidence that Z. mobilis 8b is capable of converting the aldehydes furfural, vanillin, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and to some extent syringaldehyde to their alcohol forms (furfuryl, vanillyl, 4-hydroxybenzyl and syringyl alcohol) during fermentation.ConclusionsSeveral key findings in this report provide a mechanism for predicting toxic contributions of inhibitory components of hydrolysate and provide guidance for potential process development, along with potential future strain improvement and tolerance strategies.

Thermotolerant Yeast for Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation of Cellulose to Ethanol

Ten promising microbial strains were screened for glucose fermentation over the temperature range of 37–47°C, and five temperature-tolerant yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae SERI strain (D5A),S. uvarum, andCandida generaacidothermophilium, brassicae, andlusitaniae), were chosen for SSF evaluation on Sigmacell-50 cellulose with Genencor 150 L cellulase enzyme.Brettanomyces clausenii (Y-1414) was included for comparison to previous studies both by itself and in mixed culture withS. cerevisiae (D5A). Good conversion rates were achieved at temperatures as high as 43°C withC. brassicae andS. uvarum; mixed cultures of either of these yeasts with the thermotolerant cellobiose fermenting yeastC. lusitaniae achieved higher rates and yields than any of the three yeasts alone. However, the mixed culture ofB. clausenii andS. cerevisiae at 37°C achieved as high conversion rates and higher yields than any of the other yeasts tested.

Economic impact of total solids loading on enzymatic hydrolysis of dilute acid pretreated corn stover

In process integration studies of the biomass‐to‐ethanol conversion process, it is necessary to understand how cellulose conversion yields vary as a function of solids and enzyme loading and other key operating variables. The impact of solids loading on enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis of dilute acid pretreated corn stover slurry was determined using an experimental response surface design methodology. From the experimental work, an empirical correlation was obtained that expresses monomeric glucose yield from enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis as a function of solids loading, enzyme loading, and temperature. This correlation was used in a technoeconomic model to study the impact of solids loading on ethanol production economics. The empirical correlation was used to provide a more realistic assessment of process cost by accounting for changes in cellulose conversion yields at different solids and enzyme loadings as well as enzyme cost. As long as enzymatic cellulose conversion drops off at higher total solids loading (due to end‐product inhibition or other factors), there is an optimum value for the total solids loading that minimizes the ethanol production cost. The optimum total solids loading shifts to higher values as enzyme cost decreases.

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of pretreated wheat straw to ethanol with selected yeast strains and β-glucosidase supplementation

Previous shake flask and stirred tank evaluations of temperature tolerant (37–43°C) yeasts in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) on Sigmacell-50 cellulose substrates to ethanol have identified several good microorganisms for further SSF studies (27). Of these, the glucose fermenting yeastCandida acidothermophilum, C. brassicae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. uvarum, and a mixed culture of the cellobiose fermenting yeastBrettanomyces clausenii withS. cerevisiae as a control were chosen for shake flask SSF screening experiments with pretreated wheat straw. This study indicates that theSaccharomyces strainscerevisiae anduvarum, give very good performance at high cellulase loadings or when supplemented with Novo-188 β-glucosidase. In fact, with the higher enzyme loadings these yeast will give complete conversion of cellulose to ethanol. Yet at the lower, more economical enzyme loadings, the mixed culture ofBrettanomyces clausenii andS. cerevisiae performs better than any single yeast.

Digestion of pretreated aspen substrates: Hydrolysis rates and adsorptive loss of cellulase enzymes

Considerable controversy exists concerning the role lignin plays in the adsorption of cellulase enzymes on biomass. Recent studies using extracted, purified hardwood lignin have shown these materials have a propensity for cellulase adsorption; however, native lignin is carbohydrate-linked and far less condensed. In this study, we report the results of adsorption-kinetics analyses of cellulase-complex activities using five pretreated aspen substrates, including an exhaustively enzyme-hydrolyzed one. These data indicate that the polymer-binding cellulase activities are removed from solution at higher rates and extents in the presence of low lignin-content versus high lignin-content substrates. This order of adsorption was found to be essentially the inverse for beta-glucosidase adsorption.

Production of cellulase on mixtures of xylose and cellulose

Cellulase production by the RUT-C30 mutant of the fungusTrichoderma reesei was studied on mixtures of xylose and cellulose. In mixed substrates, the lag phase of the growth cycle was shorter and reached the maximum of total productivity in a shorter time compared to growth on the single substrate, cellulose. A diauxic pattern of utilization of the two carbon sources was observed as well: Xylose was utilized first to support growth, followed by cellulose to induce the cellulase enzyme production and provide an additional carbon source for cellular metabolism. Of the various mixtures of xylose and cellulose used in batch enzyme production, a ratio of 30∶30 g/L of xylose to cellulose was optimal. This mixture produced the highest maximal enzyme productivity of 122 IFPU/L h, and its total productivity reached a maximum value of 55 IFPU/L h in less time than others. However, similar total productivities and higher enzyme titers were observed for growth on cellulose alone.