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Processing biomass

a technology of biomass and saccharification, applied in the direction of biofuels, energy-based chemical/physical/physicochemical processes, fungi, etc., can solve the problems of low yield of naturally occurring cellulosic materials, low yield of theoretical yields, and high cost, so as to avoid negative feedback inhibition of enzymatic reactions and increase the efficiency of saccharification

Inactive Publication Date: 2014-01-02
XYLECO INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes methods for improving the efficiency of saccharifying biomass and increasing the amount of products made by microorganisms from saccharified biomass. The approach involves avoiding negative feedback inhibition of enzymatic reactions and using a microorganism that converts a specific sugar to a product but cannot metabolize another sugar. By combining the microorganism and the saccharified biomass and maintaining them under specific conditions, the microorganism can convert the first and second sugars to produce the product and the third sugar, resulting in an increase in the amount of the product made from the saccharified biomass.

Problems solved by technology

This compact matrix is difficult to access by enzymes and other chemical, biochemical and biological processes.
Cellulosic biomass materials (e.g., biomass material from which substantially all the lignin has been removed) can be more accessible to enzymes and other conversion processes, but even so, naturally-occurring cellulosic materials often have low yields (relative to theoretical yields) when contacted with hydrolyzing enzymes.
While a number of methods have been tried to extract structural carbohydrates from lignocellulosic biomass, they are either too expensive, produce too low a yield, leave undesirable chemicals in the resulting product, or simply degrade the sugars.

Method used

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  • Processing biomass
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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Effect of Exogenous Fructose on Saccharification

[0206]This example tests whether or not exogenous fructose inhibits saccharification enzymes.

[0207]Three 225 mL Erlenmeyer flasks were prepared, each with 10 g of treated corn cob biomass (mesh size between 15 and 40, and irradiated to 35 Mrad with an electron beam) 100 mL of water and 2.5 mL of Duet Accelerase™ (Danisco). To the first, second, and third flask were added, respectively: 0 g, 5 g and 10 g of fructose. The flasks were covered with aluminum foil and set in an incubator shaker at 50° C. and 200 rpm for four days. The amount of xylose and glucose was monitored by HPLC. The results of the saccharification are shown in the table below.

TABLE 1Saccharification under varying levels of exogenous fructose.GlucoseSampleyield (g / L)Xylose yield (g / L)% Glucose0 g added fructose17.913.8100.05 g added fructose16.712.393.510 g added fructose 18.112.6101.3

[0208]Unlike glucose (a known inhibitor of cellobiase), 5% or 10% added fructose does...

example 2

Effect of Xylose Isomerase on Saccharification

[0209]Glucose is a known inhibitor of cellobiase. This example tests if the conversion of glucose to the isomer fructose by xylose isomerase can increase saccharification.

[0210]Four 225 mL Erlenmeyer flasks were prepared, each with 10 g of treated corn cob biomass and 100 mL of water. The biomass was treated as described in Example 1. To the first, second, and third flask was added 2.5 mL of Duet Accelerase™ (Danisco). To the second, third, and fourth flasks were added, respectively: 1 g, 0.1 g and 0.1 g of glucose isomerase (Sweetzyme™, Aldrich). The flasks were covered with aluminum foil and set in an incubator shaker at 50° C. and 200 rpm for four days. The amount of xylose and glucose was monitored by HPLC. The results of the saccharification are shown in the table below.

TABLE 2Effectiveness of cellulase with added xylose isomerase.GlucoseXylose%Sampleyield (g / L)yield (g / L)Glucose% Xylose2.5 mL Duet22.616.9100.1100.02.5 mL Duet + 1 g...

example 3

Use of a Strong Acid to Cleave Cellobiose

[0212]This example tests the use of a strong acid to cleave cellobiose to glucose, to increase saccharification yield. The strong acid used was Amberlyst-15™, a polystyrene sulfonic acid. This is a strongly acidic sulfonic acid macroreticular polymeric resin that is based on crosslinked styrene divinylbenzene copolymers. Published studies indicate that Amberlyst-15 can cleave the dimer cellobiose to glucose.

[0213]Three 225 mL Erlenmeyer flasks were prepared, each with 10 g of treated corn cob biomass, 100 mL of water and 2.5 mL Duet Accelerase™. The biomass was treated as described in Example 1. In the second flask 1 g of glucose isomerase (Sweetzyme™, Aldrich) was added; and in the third 1 g of glucose isomerase and 0.1 g of polystyrene sulfonic acid (Amberlyst-15™, DOW) was added.

[0214]The flasks were covered with aluminum foil and set in an incubator shaker at 50° C. and 200 rpm for four days. The amount of xylose and glucose was monitored...

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Abstract

Provided herein are methods of increasing the efficiency of biomass saccharification. In particular, the methods include ways of avoiding feedback inhibition during the production of useful products.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of PCT / US2012 / 071093, filed Dec. 20, 2012, which claimed priority from U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61 / 579,552 and 61 / 579,559 both filed on Dec. 22, 2011. The entire disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention pertains to efficiencies useful in the processing of biomass materials. For example, the invention relates to processes that circumvent negative feedback of enzymatic reactions.BACKGROUND[0003]As demand for petroleum increases, so too does interest in renewable feedstocks for manufacturing biofuels and biochemicals. The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for such manufacturing processes has been studied since the 1970s. Lignocellulosic biomass is attractive because it is abundant, renewable, domestically produced, and does not compete with food industry uses.[0004]Many potential lignocellulosic feedstocks are a...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C12P19/24C12P19/14
CPCC12P19/24C12P19/14B01J19/08C12N1/16C12N9/90C12P7/10C12P19/02Y02E50/10C12P7/16C12P2201/00
Inventor MEDOFF, MARSHALLMASTERMAN, THOMAS CRAIGFINN, MICHAEL W.
Owner XYLECO INC
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