Novel approach to production of high-value biochemicals and simultaneous removal of emerging contaminants using waste biomass by biofilm reactors

2009年全球发酵衍生精细化学品市场为160亿美元，预计到2016年将增加到761.6亿美元。这些生物化学品中的大多数是通过分批和补料分批发酵开发的，与连续操作相比，这需要更高的生产成本。为了解决这些问题，生物膜反应器可用于处理废弃生物质，例如城市和工业废物。这些废物还含有新出现的污染物，需要对这些污染物进行监测，以确定开发的产品完全无毒。拟议的研究计划考虑了一种新的方法来生产高价值的生化物质，同时使用创新的生物膜技术来解毒废物。该研究可以分为三个主要目标和6个子目标：A：真菌生物膜的开发; a）使用包封技术开发先进、稳定的真菌生物膜反应器，以及B）生物膜生理学研究; B：平台生物化学品的生物生产：d）由真菌黄曲霉生产苹果酸，和e）真菌生物质再利用和技术经济分析;和C：在生物生产期间同时去除新出现的污染物（EC）：f）在生物化学品的生物生产过程中确定主要废物结合的EC的命运。常规的废弃生物质流将进一步增强我们对这些用于生产生物化学品的工艺的稳健性和利用的知识。此外，这个多学科项目将提供机会，在一代的HQP加拿大，即本科生和研究生（硕士，博士）。应用微生物学、生化工程、分析化学、环境化学、废水处理和处置以及废水污泥管理等不同学科。

The global market for fermentation derived fine chemicals in 2009 was $16 billion and is forecasted to increase to $76.16 billion by 2016. Most of these biochemicals have been developed through batch and fed-batch fermentation requiring higher production costs as compared to a continuous operation. To address these issues, biofilm reactors can be used to process waste biomass, such as municipal and industrial wastes. These wastes are also loaded with emerging contaminants which need to be monitored to ascertain the complete non-toxicity of the developed product. The proposed research programme considers a novel approach to produce high-value biochemicals and simultaneously detoxify the wastes using innovative biofilm technology. The research can be grouped into three principal objectives and 6 sub-objectives: A: Fungal biofilm development; a) development of advanced, stable fungal biofilm reactors using encapsulation technique, and b) biofilm physiology study; B: Bioproduction of platform biochemicals: c) production of fumaric acid by the fungus, Rhizopus oryzae, d) production of malic acid by the fungus, Aspergillus flavus, and e) fungal biomass reuse and techno-economic analysis; and C: Simultaneous removal of emerging contaminants (ECs) during bioproduction: f) determination of fate of principal waste bound ECs during the bioproduction of biochemicals.The original approach of development of biofilm reactor technologies for the non-conventional waste biomass streams will further enhance our knowledge on robustness and utilization of these processes for the production of biochemicals. Additionally, this multidisciplinary project will provide opportunities in the generation of HQP for Canada, namely, undergraduates and graduate students (M.Sc, Ph.D.) in different disciplines of applied microbiology, biochemical engineering, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, wastewater treatment and disposal and wastewater sludge management.