Bioreactor

Abstract

Bioreactor (1) for degrading plastic (200), comprising at least one reaction chamber (2) with at least one receiving volume (3) for at least one reaction medium (100), characterized by that the reaction medium (100) at least partially comprises plastic (200) and at least the microbiome (300) of Zophobas morio maggots.

Description

The present invention relates to at least one bioreactor for decomposing plastic, comprising at least one reaction space with at least one receiving volume for at least one reaction medium.Plastic, also called plastic in general terms, has long become a global problem. Conventional plastics are produced on the basis of petroleum and are therefore generally not degradable and / or compostable, or at least only with great difficulty.Polystyrene is, for example, a widely used plastic which is used, for example, in yoghurt cups, packaging materials, toys and in many further applications. The use of polystyrene in foamed form as polystyrene ®. is particularly known.Even if a lot of plastic material is recycled in the meantime, enormous amounts of plastics used are problematic. In particular, so-called microplasty is critical. In addition to the explicit use of microplasty, for example in cosmetic products, microplasty can also be formed by the decomposition of macroplasty or else by abrasion of car tires. This is referred to as microplasty already for plastic particles having a diameter of less than 5 mm.Microplasty could even be detected in human excrements (Schwabl et al., 2019), showing that microplasty has already arrived in the human food chain and / or is otherwise absorbed by the human.In addition to known conventional chemical, thermal and / or mechanical methods for disposing of plastics and recycling, more and more biological approaches for decomposing plastics are being sought.Among other things, the inventors of this application, in the context of a "Youth wish" project that was marked in the area of biology in 2023 with the second place at the federal level, found that the maggots of the Great Black beetle (Zophobas morio) not only convert plastic and in particular polystyrene, but can also use it or use it as an energy source. Thus, although the maggots of Zophobas morio were also held as a substrate, they had comparable development to normally fed maggots. Various macroscopic and microscopic analyses have shown that the plastic is not only comminuted but decomposed. Microplasty could not be detected in the maggots. However, the use of maggots to degrade plastic is rather unsuitable on a large scale, especially since the efficiency is to be verified. The contents of this project are hereby incorporated by reference.It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an alternative possibility for removing plastic biologically, in particular also on a large scale.This object is achieved by a bioreactor having the features of claim 1. Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the general description and the description of the exemplary embodiment.The bioreactor according to the invention for decomposing plastic comprises at least one reaction space with at least one receiving volume for at least one reaction medium. The reaction medium comprises plastic to be degraded and at least part of the microbiome of Zophobas morio Magen.The fact that plastic is degraded in the bioreactor means in particular that it is converted and preferably metabolized.The microbiome is used according to the invention by maggots or larvae of Zophobas morio, i.e. of maggots of the great black beetle. According to the invention, at least a part of the microbiome of Zophobas morio is contained in the reaction medium. Furthermore, other microbiomes of other species may also be advantageously added.The bioreactor of the present invention offers many advantages. A considerable advantage is that an in vitro method for decomposing plastic, which can also be used on a large scale or even on an industrial scale, is provided. Surprisingly, it was found that the metabolization of plastic known from Zophobas morio could be successfully detected in vivo even in vitro if the microbiome of Zophobas morio magens is used for the bioreaction or the degradation of plastic.Preferably, the reaction medium comprises at least partially the microbiome from the intestine or digestive tract of Zophobas morio maggoes. In this context, it is provided in particular that at least a part of the microbiome from the intestine of Zophobas morio Magen is used, which has been found in various experimental setups by the inventors to be sufficient or responsible for the degradation. With respect to the experiments and also generally, the content of the present inventors' current Youth Wish project is incorporated by reference.Preferably, the rinsed or purified intestine is used to obtain the desired microbiome. Thus, for example, an initial culture can be obtained from the intestine of Zophobas morio maggoes, which are then grown conventionally. Depending on the configuration, however, the rinsed casing can also be introduced directly into the reaction space or into the reaction medium.Particularly preferably, only Gram-negative bacteria from the microbiome of Zophobas morio Magen are at least partially encompassed by the reaction medium. In this connection, the inventors have found, via an antibiotic selection, that the advantageous degradation of plastic is attributable to at least one species of Gram-negative bacteria.In expedient embodiments, the microbiome used is obtained or prepared from the rinsed-out intestinal contents of Zophobas morio Magen or is used directly depending on the embodiment. Thus, for example, an initial culture can be obtained from the intestinal contents of Zophobas morio maggoes, which are then grown conventionally. Depending on the configuration, however, the flushed-out contents of the casing can also be introduced directly into the reaction space or into the reaction medium. Preferably, a purification can also be provided upstream which separates the microbiome from the remainder of the rinsed-out intestinal contents.In advantageous refinements, the microbiome used is obtained from the extracted and homogenized intestine of Zophobas morio Magen. In such a configuration, preferably both the intestinal contents and the intestinal envelope and, depending on the configuration, further constituents of the maggoum are used for extraction of the microbiome.In suitable embodiments, the microbiome used is obtained from the extracted and homogenized intestinal envelope of Zophobas morio Magen. Such a configuration may also be advantageous depending on the application.Preferably, the microbiome of Zophobas morio magens is cultured from the intestine. It is thus possible for the microbiome to be obtained from a relatively small amount of maggots or to be extracted therefrom and subsequently be multiplied by classic biotechnological or microbiological processes. Thus, in particular, a sufficient amount of microbiome can be cultivated industrially or, for example, in a fermenter.Preferably, the microbiome used is ignited and at least partially corresponds to the microbiome from the gut of Zophobas morio Magen. In such a variant, the microbiome is completely produced or assembled synthetically, wherein the bacteria necessary for the decomposition are cultivated and / or assembled individually from the microbiome and / or further components. Thus, for example, biomaterials databases can also be used.Particularly preferably, the plastic to be degraded comprises polystyrene or is polystyrene. It was possible to demonstrate by the inventors precisely the metabolism of polystyrene by Zophobas morio maggots or else by the microbiome of these maggots in different experimental setups.Particularly preferably, the pH of the reaction medium is between pH 7 and pH 9, preferably between pH 7.5 and 8, and in particular about 7.8. Depending on the configuration, however, other pH values can also be provided.Preferably, the reaction medium comprises at least one base medium. In this case, a base medium can be provided, for example, by a conventional nutrient solution which, in addition to the plastic to be metabolized, offers a nutritional base for the bacteria present in the microbiome.The reaction medium particularly preferably comprises at least one auxiliary medium and / or at least one auxiliary substance. Thus, for example, a buffer for adjusting the pH, antibiotics, antifungals, further auxiliaries and / or supplements can be added to the reaction medium.In advantageous refinements, the reaction space is provided by at least one fermenter. A fermenter is in particular a container in which certain microorganisms and / or cells can be cultivated or even fermented under conditions that are as optimal as possible. Thus, a conversion process can be performed on a large scale. Depending on the configuration, however, it is also possible to use other reaction spaces for decomposing plastic on a large or even industrial scale. In particular, a reaction can also be carried out in a petri dish, a test tube, a 24-well plate and also other suitable vessels.In expedient configurations, the reaction space is suitable and designed to enable an aerobic and / or anaerobic reaction. Thus, depending on the microbiome used, an optimum metabolisation of the plastic can be achieved.The reaction space preferably has at least one inlet for feeding reaction medium and / or plastic and / or microbiome and / or at least one outlet for discharging reaction medium.In expedient refinements, at least one stirring device is arranged at least in sections in the reaction space. With such a stirring device, it is possible to achieve thorough mixing of the contents of the reaction space or of the reaction medium, so that the same composition of the reaction medium is present throughout and preferably no dead zones can form in the reaction space.The reaction space is preferably suitable and designed for adjusting and / or regulating the temperature of the reaction medium. Thus, for example, depending on the microbiome used, an optimum temperature can be set, which can be, in particular, about 37° C.In general, all functions and / or methods available in the prior art for operating a fermenter can be used in the bioreactor according to the invention, in particular in the field of microbiological and / or biotechnological application.The invention also relates to a method for decomposing plastic with the extracted microbiome of Zophobas morio magens or parts thereof, to a method for operating a bioreactor as described above and to the use of the extracted microbiome of Zophobas morio magens or parts thereof in the (industrial) decomposition of plastic. The methods and the use as the bioreactor described above can also be further developed.Further advantages and features of the present invention result from the exemplary embodiment which is explained below with reference to the attached figures.The figures show: FIG. 1 shows a purely schematic illustration of a bioreactor according to the invention in a view from the side.FIG. 1 shows a purely schematic view of a bioreactor 1 according to the invention with a reaction space 2 which provides a receiving volume 3 for a reaction medium 100.In the exemplary embodiment shown, the biotech reactor 1 or the reaction space 2 is designed as a fermenter 4, so that here, on a large scale or industrially, plastic 200 can be degraded or converted by a biological process.In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the reaction medium 100 can be mixed together in the reaction space 2 or into the fermenter 4 via an inlet 5 from different reserves 10 or fed to the receiving volume 3 or the reaction space 2. In order to supply volumes from the different reserves 10 to the access 5, in each case adjusting devices 12 or valves are provided here on the individual reserves.In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the reaction medium 100 can comprise the plastic 200 to be degraded and here in particular polystyrene 201, a base medium 400, auxiliary media 401 and auxiliary materials 402 in respectively suitable predefined concentrations.According to the invention, the reaction medium 100 further comprises at least partially the microbiom 300 of Zophobas morio Magen.In the exemplary embodiment shown here, it is provided that the microbiome used comprises only the Gram-negative bacteria from the microbiome of Zophobas morio maggoes, which has been isolated from the intestine of the maggoes. Depending on the configuration, other parts of the microbiome and the maggoms can be used or the microbiome can be removed or isolated in another manner.In the exemplary embodiment shown, a further fermenter 11 is provided in which the microbiome 300 of the Zophobas morio maggoes or, as described above, a portion of the microbiome is grown or increased from the intestine of these larvae. It is thus possible to replicate relatively large amounts of the microbiome from small starting amounts by means of classic microbiological or biotechnological processes.In the exemplary embodiment shown, the base medium 400, which is part of the reaction medium 100 here, is a classic nutrient medium which, in addition to the plastic 200 to be metabolized, offers as a food base for the bacteria or the microbiom 300.Furthermore, a buffer is added as auxiliary medium 401, which adjusts the pH of the reaction medium to a pH of 7.8 in the exemplary embodiment shown here. Depending on the configuration, other pH values can also be used meaningfully and expediently.In the exemplary embodiment shown, an antibiotic is added as auxiliary 402, which is directed in particular against Gram-positive bacteria, so that the Gram-negative bacteria of the isolated microbiome 300 can react the plastic 200 or here the polystyrene 201 without further selection pressure.Furthermore, it is shown that in the exemplary embodiment shown, a stirring device 7 in the reaction space 2 can ensure a redistribution of the reaction medium 100, so that the same composition of the reaction medium 100 is present at any point in the reaction space 2 and, in particular, no so-called dead zones can form.Furthermore, a sensor device 8 is provided in the reaction space 2, so that certain values, such as temperature, pH, etc., and / or compositions of the reaction medium 100, in particular also the concentration of plastic 200 or polystyrene 201 or degradation products thereof, can be detected here.Furthermore, a control device 9 is provided, which is operatively connected here to the stirring device 7, the sensor device 8 and the position directions 12 or valves, so that the control device 9 in the exemplary embodiment shown can be used to automatically supply the individual components of the reaction medium 100 as required from the reserves 10.List of reference characters1 Bioreactor 2 Reaction space 3 Receiving volume 4 Fermenter 5 Inlet 6 Outlet 7 Stirring device 8 Sensor 9 Control device 10 Supply 11 Fermenter 12 Adjusting device 100 Reaction medium 200 Plastic 201 Polystyrene 300 Microbiome 400 Basic medium 401 Auxiliary medium 402 AuxiliaryReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Cited Non-Patent LiteratureSchwabl et al., 2019

[0005] Project Received in 2023

[0007]

Claims

Bioreactor (1) for decomposing plastic (200), comprising at least one reaction space (2) with at least one receiving volume (3) for at least one reaction medium (100), characterized in that the reaction medium (100) comprises plastic (200) and at least the microbiome (300) of Zophobas morio Magen at least partially.Bioreactor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the reaction medium (100) at least partially comprises the microbiome (300) from the gut of Zophobas morio Magens.Bioreactor (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein only Gram-negative bacteria from the microbiome (300) of Zophobas morio Magen are at least partially comprised.Bioreactor (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the microbiome (300) used is obtained from the flushed intestinal contents of Zophobas morio Magen.Bioreactor (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the microbiome (300) used is obtained from the extracted and homogenized intestine of Zophobas morio Magen.Bioreactor (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the microbiome (300) used is obtained from the extracted and homogenized intestinal envelope of Zophobas morio Magen.Bioreactor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the microbiome (300) of Zophobas morio Magen is cultivated from the microbiome (300) extracted from the intestine.Bioreactor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the microbiome (300) used is grown and at least partially corresponds to the microbiome from the intestine of Zophobas morio Magen.Bioreactor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the plastic (200) to be degraded comprises polystyrene (201).Bioreactor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pH of the reaction medium (100) is between pH 7 and pH 9, preferably between pH 7.5 and pH 8, and in particular pH 7.8.Bioreactor (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction medium (100) is comprised of at least one base medium (400).Bioreactor (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction medium (100) comprises at least one auxiliary medium (401) and / or at least one auxiliary (402).Bioreactor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction space (2) is provided by at least one fermenter (4).Bioreactor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction space (2) is suitable and designed to allow an aerobic and / or anaerobic reaction.Bioreactor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction space (2) has at least one inlet (5) for feeding reaction medium (100) and / or plastic (200) and / or microbiome (300) and / or at least one outlet (6) for discharging reaction medium (100).Bioreactor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one stirring device (7) is arranged at least in sections in the reaction space (2).Bioreactor (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction space (2) can be temperature-controlled.

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