Abstract
Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is a potential breakthrough technology for reducing costs of biochemical production from lignocellulosic biomass. Production of cellulase enzymes, saccharification of lignocellulose, and conversion of the resulting sugars into a chemical of interest occur simultaneously within a single bioreactor. In this study, synthetic fungal consortia composed of the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei and the production specialist Rhizopus delemar demonstrated conversion of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and alkaline pre-treated corn stover (CS) to fumaric acid in a fully consolidated manner without addition of cellulase enzymes or expensive supplements such as yeast extract. A titer of 6.87 g/L of fumaric acid, representing 0.17 w/w yield, were produced from 40 g/L MCC with a productivity of 31.8 mg/L/hr. In addition, lactic acid was produced from MCC using a fungal consortium with Rhizopus oryzae as the production specialist. These results are proof-of-concept demonstration of engineering synthetic microbial consortia for CBP production of naturally occurring biomolecules.
Highlights
Carbon is liberated from cellulose by cellulase enzymes produced by T. reesei and the resulting sugars are immediately converted into organic acids by the production specialist in the same bio-reactor (Figure 1)
Results described above demonstrate the compatibility of T. reesei and R. delemar to be grown together for consolidated conversion of cellulose to fumaric acid in Rhizopus–Trichoderma co-culture medium (RTco) medium
In consortium Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) the nitrogen concentration can control the amount of carbon that is utilized for cell growth versus carbon directed towards producing fumaric acid
Summary
We designed synthetic fungal consortia to produce fumaric and lactic acids from cellulose and lignocellulosic biomass. Carbon is liberated from cellulose by cellulase enzymes produced by T. reesei and the resulting sugars are immediately converted into organic acids by the production specialist in the same bio-reactor (Figure 1). R. delemar monoculture efficiently consumed 40 g/L glucose in RTco medium (Figure 2b) to produce 22 g/L fumaric acid (Figure 2c), representing a yield of 0.55 w/ w and a productivity of 153 mg/L/hr.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
