Evaluating lactic acid fermentation from lignocellulosic biomass

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The industrial partner, Jungbunzlauer, is one of the world's leading producers of biodegradable ingredients of natural origin. Particularly it manufactures organic acids, largely for the food industry in plants, in southern Ontario and globally. The acid production occurs via fermentation of glucose and Jungbunzlauer is interested in diversifying their source of feedstock towards sugars derived from lignocellulosic biomass. If successful it could lower production costs of the company, generate additional revenues for Canadian farmers and increase advanced manufacturing capabilities in Ontario. Lignocellulosic biomass requires pretreatment in order to release fermentable sugars. Such pre-treatment typically suffers from side-reactions and the formation of unwanted by-products. The composition and distribution of such by-products carries based on the type of biomass ad pre-treatment technology that was used. Many know by-products are inhibitory to fermenting organisms and current research largely focusses on the compatibility of pre-treatment technologies with ethanol producing yeasts. However microbial the strains used by Jungbunzlauer are physiologically very different and will react different to the inhibitory cocktails. The project aims to evaluate the response of a surrogate strain (selected by Jungbunzlauer) to a complex mixture of typical fermentation inhibitors. Statistical experimental design and response surface methodology will be used in combination with high-throughput screening as established in Dr. Rehmann's lab for ethanol producing yeasts. The results from this project will enable Jungbunzlauer to predict the compatibility of potential lignocelulosic sugar streams with fermenting organisms and hence function as a decision making too when selecting industrial partner for the next generation of lignocellulosic organic acid production plants.