SBIR Phase II: Direct Conversion of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks to Lipids and High-Value Products using a Proprietary Microbial Process

这个小企业创新研究第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是从丰富和廉价的原料中可持续地生产高价值的脂质（油，蜡和脂肪酸）。该方法基于在黄石国家公园中发现的独特的脂质积累微生物，其能够将广泛的原料如小麦秸杆、玉米秸秆和工业副产物（例如糖蜜、甘油）直接转化为有价值的脂质产物如ω-7脂肪酸和高熔点蜡。可再生油、蜡和脂肪酸在广泛的行业（例如，营养品、生物润滑剂、化妆品、蜡烛和肥皂）中具有显著的需求。消费者显然将从这项技术中受益，因为它减少了我们对石油产品的依赖，同时为农业废物和副产品创造了一个市场。由于很少有公司和研究小组正在研究直接从木质纤维素生物质中生产真菌脂质以获得更高价值的产品，因此工业和科学界都将受益于这项研究所获得的知识。该小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目描述了一种简单、新颖且具有成本效益的方法，用于使用从黄石国家公园分离的微生物将木质纤维素和其他废物原料转化为高价值脂质，该微生物能够耐受极端酸性条件并产生用于降解纤维素、木质素和半纤维素的强大酶。生物体积累高浓度的有价值的脂质在一个成本效益？一步？过程基于可再生资源生产的脂质为废弃农业材料创造了市场。该SBIR项目的主要目标是进一步开发从废弃有机原料中商业化生产脂质产品的工艺。第二阶段的工作重点是通过实验室中试规模系统优化工艺，进行工艺流程设计和商业生产系统的技术经济分析，详细分析脂质产品，并针对所生产脂质产品的适当市场/客户。从第二阶段计划中出来，目标是拥有一个试点级的示范系统，旨在为确定的目标市场和客户从各种底物生产经济上可行的高价值脂质产量。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is the sustainable production of high-value lipids (oils, waxes and fatty acids) from abundant and inexpensive feedstocks. The process is based on a unique lipid- accumulating microorganism found in Yellowstone National Park that is capable of directly converting a wide range of feedstocks such as wheat straw, corn stover, and industrial by-products (e.g. molasses, glycerol) to valuable lipid products such as Omega-7 fatty acids and high-melting temperature waxes. Renewable oils, waxes and fatty acids have significant demand in a wide range of industries (e.g. neutraceuticals, biolubricants, cosmetics, candles and soaps). Consumers will clearly benefit from this technology through the reduction of our dependence on petroleum-based products while generating a market for agricultural wastes and by-products. Since few companies and research groups are investigating fungal lipid production directly from lignocellulosic biomass for higher- value products, both industry and the scientific community will benefit from the knowledge gained by this research. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project describes a simple, novel and cost-effective process for converting lignocellulosic and other waste feedstocks to high- value lipids using a microorganism isolated from Yellowstone National Park, which is capable of withstanding extreme acidic conditions and producing powerful enzymes for degrading cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. The organism accumulates high concentrations of valuable lipids in a cost-effective ?one-step? process. The produced lipids based on renewable resources creates a market for waste agricultural materials. The primary objective of this SBIR project is to further develop the process for commercial production of lipid products from waste organic feedstocks. Phase II efforts will focus on optimizing the process with a bench pilot-scale system, performing process flow design and techno-economic analysis of commercial production systems, analyzing lipid products in detail, and targeting appropriate markets/customers for the produced lipid products. Coming out of the Phase II program, the goal is to have a pilot- level demonstration system designed to produce economically viable yields of high-value lipids from a variety of substrates for defined target markets and customers.