Ulva rigida valorization into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), organic acids and functional ingredients

Halomonas elongata 1H9T is a moderate halophilic strain able to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)), a biodegradable plastic, and gluconic acid, a valuable organic acid with wide industrial applications. In this work, the green alga Ulva rigida was used as platform to produce cultivation substrates for microbial conversion as well as functional ingredients, targeting its full valorization. The liquor obtained by autohydrolysis presented the highest concentration of oligosaccharides and protein, being an interesting feedstock to produce functional ingredients. The acid and/or enzymatic hydrolysis liquors are adequate as substrates for microbial processes. Shake flask assays with H. elongata revealed that the N-rich liquor produced after acidic treatment was the best suited for cell growth while the N-poor liquor produced by the enzymatic treatment of acid-pretreated algae residues produced the highest P(3HB) titers of 4.4 g/L. These hydrolysates were used in fed-batch cultivations as carbon and protein sources for the co-production of gluconic acid and polymer achieving titers of 123.2 g/L and 7.2 g/L, respectively. Besides gluconic acid, the Krebs cycle intermediate 2-oxoglutaric acid, also called alpha-ketoglutaric acid (KGA), was produced. Therefore, the co-production of P(3HB) and acids may be of considerable interest as an algal biorefinery valorization strategy.This research was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) project number (PTDC/BII-BIO/29242/2017). Funding received from FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the project UIDB/04565/2020 and UIDP/04565/2020 of the Research Unit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences—iBB and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy—i4HB is acknowledged. Funding received from FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2020 unit and LABBELS—Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020 project is also acknowledged.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhanced bioproduction of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate from wheat straw lignocellulosic hydrolysates

Project: EC/FP7/246449 - New tailor-made PNB-based nanocomposites for high performance applications produced from environmentally friendly production routesNOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in New Biotechnology. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in New Biotechnology, [Vol. 31, Issue 1, (January 2014)] DOI 10.1016/j.nbt.2013.10.004"Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bioplastics that can replace conventional petroleum derived products in various applications. One of the major barriers for their widespread introduction in the market is the higher production costs when compared with their petrochemical counterparts. In this work, a process was successfully implemented with high productivity based on wheat straw, a cheap and readily available agricultural residue, as raw material. The strain Burkholderia sacchari DSM 17165 which is able to metabolize glucose, xylose and arabinose, the main sugars present in wheat straw hydrolysates (WSH), was used. Results in shake flask showed that B. sacchari cells accumulated ca 70 % g P(3HB)/g cell-dry-weight with a yield of polymer on sugars (YP/S) of 0.18 g/g when grown on a mixture of commercial C6 and C5 sugars (control), while these values reached ca 60 % g P(3HB)/g cell-dry-weight and 0.19 g/g, respectively, when WSHs were used as carbon source. In fed-batch cultures carried out in 2L stirred tank reactors on WSH, a maximum polymer concentration of 105 g/L was reached after 61 h of cultivation corresponding to an accumulation of 72% of CDW. Polymer yield and productivity were 0.22 g P(3HB)/g total sugar consumed and 1.6 g/L. h, respectively. The selected feeding strategy successfully overcame the carbon catabolite repression phenomenon observed in sugar mixtures containing hexoses and pentoses. This is the first work describing fed-batch cultivations aiming at PHA production using real lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Additionally, the P(3HB) volumetric productivities attained are, by far, the highest achieved ever on agricultural wastes hydrolysates."U

Production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) by Burkholderia sacchari using wheat straw hydrolysates and gamma-butyrolactone

“NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Vol. 71, Special issue, (November 2014). DOI 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2014.04.054 ""Burkholderia sacchari DSM 17165 is able to grow and produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) both on hexoses and pentoses. In a previous study, wheat straw lignocellulosic hydrolysates (WSH) containing high C6 and C5 sugar concentrations were shown to be excellent carbon sources for P(3HB) production. Using a similar feeding strategy developed for P(3HB) production based on WSH, fedbatch cultures were developed aiming at the production of the copolymer P(3HB-co- 4HB) (poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)) by B. sacchari. The ability of this strain to synthesize P(3HB-co-4HB) was first shown in shake flasks using gammabutyrolactone (GBL) as precursor of the 4HB units. Fed-batch cultures using glucose as carbon source (control) and GBL were developed to achieve high copolymer productivities and 4HB incorporations. The attained P(3HBco- 4HB) productivity and 4HB molar % were 0.7 g/(L·h) and 4.7 molar %, respectively. The 4HB incorporation was improved to 6.3 and 11.8 molar % by addition of 2 g/L propionic and acetic acid, respectively. When WSH were used as carbon source under the same feeding conditions, the values achieved were 0.5 g/(L·h) and 5.0 molar %, respectively. Burkholderia sacchari, a strain able to produce biopolymers based on xylose-rich lignocellulosic hydrolysates, is for the first time reported to produce P(3HB-co-4HB) using gamma butyrolactone as precursor."This work has received funding from the European Union 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement number 246449 / Project: Bugworkers - New tailor-made PHB-based nanocomposites for high performance applications produced from environmentally friendly production routes.Financial support: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (fellowships SFRH/BPD/68587/2010 and SFRH/BPD/26678/2006)

Biodegradable polyesters from agro&industrial by-products

Poster presented at the 11th annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. Studies on GRP were financed by the EU Integrated Project BIOPRODUCTION (contract nº 026515-2) and those on cellulosic hydrolysates are funded by the EU Collaborative Project BUGWORKERS (contract nº 246449). C. Almeida, J. Cavalheiro, T. Cesário and F. Ferreira were supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (SFRH/BPD/26678/2006, SFRH/BD/45266/2008 and SFRH/BPD/68587/2010, IF/00442/2012). Waste glycerol was kindly provided by Torrejana, Fábrica de Biocombustíveis (Torres Vedras). Lignocellulosic hydrolysates were produced by biorefinery.de GmbH, Germany, in the framework of BUGWORKERS project.Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal / Biotrend S.A., Cantanhede, Portugal / Ecole Europeènne de Chimie, Polymères et Matériaux, Université de Strasbourg, Franc

Co-Production of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and Gluconic Acid from Glucose by <em>Halomonas elongata</em>

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biopolyesters regarded as an attractive alternative to petroleum-derived plastics. Nitrogen limitation and phosphate limitation in glucose cultivations were evaluated for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)) production by Halomonas elongata 1H9T, a moderate halophilic strain. Co-production of P(3HB) and gluconic acid was observed in fed-batch glucose cultivations under nitrogen limiting conditions. A maximum P(3HB) accumulation of 53.0% (w/w) and a maximum co-production of 133 g/L of gluconic acid were attained. Fed-batch glucose cultivation under phosphate limiting conditions resulted in a P(3HB) accumulation of only 33.3% (w/w) and no gluconic acid production. As gluconic acid is a valuable organic acid with extensive applications in several industries, this work presents an interesting approach for the future development of an industrial process aiming at the co-production of an intracellular biopolymer, P(3HB), and a value-added extracellular product, gluconic acid

Macroalgae as Protein Sources—A Review on Protein Bioactivity, Extraction, Purification and Characterization

The increased demand for protein sources combined with a decrease in the available land and water resources have led to a growing interest in macroalgae as alternative protein sources. This review focuses on strategies for macroalgae protein extraction, enrichment and characterization. To date, the protein extraction methods applied to algae include enzymatic hydrolysis, physical processes and chemical extraction. Novel methods, such as pulsed electric field, microwave-assisted, pressurized liquid and supercritical fluid extractions, and the application of smart solvents are discussed. An overview of the use of membranes and other processes to generate high-value protein concentrates from algae extracts is also presented, as well as some examples of the methods used for their characterization. The potential bioactivities from macroalgae-derived proteins and peptides, including novel glycoproteins and lectins, are briefly reviewed

Marine algal carbohydrates as carbon sources for the production of biochemicals and biomaterials

The high content of lipids in microalgae (>60% w/w in some species) and of carbohydrates in seaweed (up to 75%) have promoted intensive research towards valorisation of algal components for the production of biofuels. However, the exploitation of the carbohydrate fraction to produce a range of chemicals and chemical intermediates with established markets is still limited. These include organic acids (e.g. succinic and lactic acid), alcohols other than bioethanol (e.g. butanol), and biomaterials (e.g. polyhydroxyalkanoates). This review highlights current and potential applications of the marine algal carbohydrate fractions as major C-source for microbial production of biomaterials and building blocks.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mycobacterium sp.,Rhodococcus erythropolis, andPseudomonas putida behavior in the presence of organic solvents

International audienc