Chae Hun Ra

Biotransformation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) by Scheffersomyces stipitis during ethanol fermentation of hydrolysate of the seaweed Gelidium amansii.

The seaweed, Gelidium amansii, was fermented to produce bioethanol. Optimal pretreatment condition was determined as 94 mM H2SO4 and 10% (w/v) seaweed slurry at 121°C for 60 min. The mono sugars of 43.5 g/L with 57.4% of conversion from total carbohydrate of 75.8 g/L with G. amansii slurry 100g dcw/L were obtained by thermal acid hydrolysis pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification. G. amansii hydrolysate was used as the substrate for ethanol production by separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). The ethanol concentration of 20.5 g/L was produced by Scheffersomyces stipitis KCTC 7228. The effect of HMF on ethanol production by S. stipitis KCTC 7228 was evaluated and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was converted to 2,5-bis-hydroxymethylfuran. The accumulated 2,5-bis-hydroxymethylfuran in the medium did not affect galactose and glucose uptakes and ethanol production. Biotransformation of HMF to less inhibitory compounds by S. stipitis KCTC 7228 could enhance overall fermentation yields of seaweed hydrolysates to ethanol.

Ethanol production from seaweed (Undaria pinnatifida) using yeast acclimated to specific sugars

Ethanol production from Undaria pinnatifida (Sea mustard, Miyuk) was performed using yeast acclimated to specific sugars. Pretreatment conditions were optimized by thermal acid hydrolysis and enzyme treatment to increase the monosaccharide yield. Pretreatment by thermal acid hydrolysis was carried out using seaweed powder at 8 ∼ 17% (w/v) solid content with a treatment time of 30 ∼ 60 min. Enzyme treatment was carried out with 1% (v/v) Viscozyme L (1.2 FGU/mL), 1% (v/v) Celluclast 1.5 L (8.5 EGU/mL), 1% (v/v) AMG 300 L (3.0 AGU/mL), and 1% (v/v) Termamyl 120 L (0.72 KNU/mL). All enzymes except Termamyl 120 L, which was applied during pretreatment, were treated at 45°C for 24 h following pretreatment. Optimal pretreatment and enzyme conditions were determined to be 75 mM H2SO4, 13% (w/v) slurry, and 2.88 KNU/mL Termamyl 120 L at 121°C for 60 min. A maximum monosaccharide concentration of 33.1 g/L with 50.1% theoretical yield was obtained. To increase the ethanol yield, Pichia angophorae KCTC 17574 was acclimated to a high concentration (120 g/L) of galactose and mannitol at 30oC for 24 h. Ethanol production of 12.98 g/L with 40.12% theoretical yield was obtained from U. pinnatifida through fermentation with 0.35 g dry cell weight/L P. angophorae KCTC 17574 acclimated to mannitol and galactose.

Optimization of pretreatment conditions and use of a two-stage fermentation process for the production of ethanol from seaweed, Saccharina japonica

Saccharina japonica (Sea tangle, Dasima), a seaweed, was fermented in order to produce bioethanol after thermal hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) hydrolysis pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification. The optimal pretreatment conditions of 1% (v/v) H2O2 (28%, Dustan Pure Chemicals Co., Ltd, Ansan, Korea) and 10% (w/v) seaweed slurry at 121°C for 60 min were determined using the Response Surface Method (RSM). A reducing sugar yield of 33.4% (w/w) and a viscosity of 520 cP were obtained. Enzymatic saccharification was then carried out; a monosaccharide concentration of 28.5 g/L with a 40.5% (w/w) theoretical yield was obtained after the addition of 2-mL Celluclast® 1.5L to 100 g/L of seaweed slurry after thermal H2O2 hydrolysis. Fermentation of a two-stage ethanol production was carried out using Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCCM 1129 in order to ferment glucose in the first stage, and a high level of mannitol-acclimated Pichia angophorae KCTC 17574 to ferment mannitol in the second stage. Acclimation of yeast effectively slowed the uptake of sugar in ethanol fermentation. The overall ethanol yield from S. japonica after the two-stage fermentation was 9.9 g/L.

Enhanced biomass production and lipid accumulation of Picochlorum atomus using light-emitting diodes (LEDs)

The effects of light-emitting diode (LED) wavelength, light intensity, nitrate concentration, and time of exposure to different LED wavelength stresses in a two-phase culture on lipid production were evaluated in the microalga, Picochlorum atomus. The biomass produced by red LED light was higher than that produced by purple, blue, green, or yellow LED and fluorescent lights from first phase of two-phase culture. The highest lipid production of P. atomus was 50.3% (w/w) with green LED light at 2days of second phase as light stress. Fatty acid analysis of the microalgae showed that palmitic acid (C16:0) and linolenic acid (C18:3) accounted for 84-88% (w/w) of total fatty acids from P. atomus. The two-phase culture of P. atomus is suitable for biofuel production due to higher lipid productivity and favorable fatty acid composition.

Evaluation of hyper thermal acid hydrolysis of Kappaphycus alvarezii for enhanced bioethanol production.

Hyper thermal (HT) acid hydrolysis of Kappaphycus alvarezii, a red seaweed, was optimized to 12% (w/v) seaweed slurry content, 180mM H2SO4 at 140°C for 5min. The maximum monosaccharide concentration of 38.3g/L and 66.7% conversion from total fermentable monosaccharides of 57.6g/L with 120gdw/L K. alvarezii slurry were obtained from HT acid hydrolysis and enzymatic saccharification. HT acid hydrolysis at a severity factor of 0.78 efficiently converted the carbohydrates of seaweed to monosaccharides and produced a low concentration of inhibitory compounds. The levels of ethanol production by separate hydrolysis and fermentation with non-adapted and adapted Kluyveromyces marxianus to high concentration of galactose were 6.1g/L with ethanol yield (YEtOH) of 0.19 at 84h and 16.0g/L with YEtOH of 0.42 at 72h, respectively. Development of the HT acid hydrolysis process and adapted yeast could enhance the overall ethanol fermentation yields of K. alvarezii seaweed.

Evaluation of Galactose Adapted Yeasts for Bioethanol Fermentation from Kappaphycus alvarezii Hydrolyzates.

Bioethanol was produced from Kappaphycus alvarezii seaweed biomass using separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). Pretreatment was evaluated for 60 min at 121°C using 12% (w/v) biomass slurry with 364 mM H2SO4. Enzymatic saccharification was then carried out at 45°C for 48 h using Celluclast 1.5 L. Ethanol fermentation with 12% (w/v) K. alvarezii hydrolyzate was performed using the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCTC1126, Kluyveromyces marxianus KCTC7150, and Candida lusitaniae ATCC42720 with or without prior adaptation to high concentrations of galactose. When non-adapted S. cerevisiae, K. marxianus, and C. lusitaniae were used, 11.5 g/l, 6.7 g/l, and 6.0 g/l of ethanol were produced, respectively. When adapted S. cerevisiae, K. marxianus, and C. lusitaniae were used, 15.8 g/l, 11.6 g/l, and 13.4 g/l of ethanol were obtained, respectively. The highest ethanol concentration was 15.8 g/l, with YEtOH = 0.43 and YT% = 84.3%, which was obtained using adapted S. cerevisiae.

Bioethanol production from the waste product of salted Undaria pinnatifida using laboratory and pilot development unit (PDU) scale fermenters

The waste product from salted Undaria pinnatifida (sea mustard) processing was fermented to produce bioethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCCM 1129 at laboratory and pilot development unit (PDU) scales. Thermal acidic hydrolysis of salted U. pinnatifida was conducted with 75 mM H2SO4 at 121℃ for 60 min and the addition of 1.4 KNU/mL Termamyl 120L. A total monosaccharide concentration of 19.3 g/L and 32.2% conversion from 59.9 g/L total carbohydrate using 130 g dw/L salted U. pinnatifida were achieved. Ethanol fermentations in 5 and 500 L fermenters were carried out to produce 8.5 g/L of ethanol with an ethanol yield (YEtOH) of 0.44 at 24 h and 7.9 g/L with YEtOH of 0.41 at 18 h, respectively. The fermentation time of the PDU-scale reaction was reduced due to differences in the impeller type and geometry of the fermenters.

Optimization of the Medium Composition for Heteropolysaccharide-7 Production by Beijerinckia indica L3 Using Response Surface Methodology

The production of heteropolysaccharide-7 (PS-7) by Beijerinckia indica (B. indica L3) was evaluated in shaker flask culture. The medium optimization was studied using response surface methodology (RSM). A five-level three-factor central composite design was employed to determine the maximum PS-7 yield at optimum levels for whey lactose, glucose and ammonium nitrate contents. The validity of the model could be determined by the regression coefficient, R². The values of R² were 0.72, 0.64 and 0.85 in PS-7, DCW and viscosity, respectively. The optimal medium combinations of whey lactose, glucose and ammonium nitrate concentrations on the PS-7 production were whey lactose (2%), glucose (1%) and ammonium nitrate 5 mM, respectively. The result indicated that PS-7 production was affected significantly by the addition of glucose to whey lactose based on medium and C/N ratio.