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Title: Bioconversion of distillers’ grains hydrolysates to advanced biofuels by an Escherichia coli co-culture

Journal Article · · Microbial Cell Factories

Here, the first generation bioethanol production utilizes the starch fraction of maize, which accounts for approximately 60% of the ash-free dry weight of the grain. Scale-up of this technology for fuels applications has resulted in a massive supply of distillers’ grains with solubles (DGS) coproduct, which is rich in cellulosic polysaccharides and protein. It was surmised that DGS would be rapidly adopted for animal feed applications, however, this has not been observed based on inconsistency of the product stream and other logistics-related risks, especially toxigenic contaminants. Therefore, efficient valorization of DGS for production of petroleum displacing products will significantly improve the techno-economic feasibility and net energy return of the established starch bioethanol process. In this study, we demonstrate ‘one-pot’ bioconversion of the protein and carbohydrate fractions of a DGS hydrolysate into C4 and C5 fusel alcohols through development of a microbial consortium incorporating two engineered Escherichia coli biocatalyst strains.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1411235
Report Number(s):
SAND-2017-12329J; PII: 804
Journal Information:
Microbial Cell Factories, Vol. 16, Issue 1; ISSN 1475-2859
Publisher:
BioMed CentralCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 17 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

Monoterpene production by the carotenogenic yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides journal March 2019
Biorefining of protein waste for production of sustainable fuels and chemicals journal September 2018