Author : Lauryn Grace Chan
Release : 2018
Genre :
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 055/5 ( reviews)
Book Synopsis Bioconversion of Dairy Streams Into Added-value Compounds by Fungal Fermentation by : Lauryn Grace Chan
Download or read book Bioconversion of Dairy Streams Into Added-value Compounds by Fungal Fermentation written by Lauryn Grace Chan. This book was released on 2018. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The design of new food products and increased agricultural activities have produced a diversity of waste streams or byproducts that contain a high load of organic matter. Recently, oleaginous microorganisms (>20% lipid content) have emerged as a tool for improved resource efficiency by converting agricultural waste streams to valuable food and fuel ingredients. Thus, the overall objective of this project was to optimize the use of a filamentous fungus (Mucor circinelloides) that is able to convert the organic matter in food by-products into an oil-rich biomass. Whey permeate, a secondary dairy by-product arising from the production of whey protein concentrates, was investigated as a model source for this fungus cultivation. Through the use of response surface methodology, we were able to optimize the cultivation conditions (pH, temperature) for improved biomass production and lipid content at shake-flask. The fatty acid profile indicated the suitability of M. circinelloides oil as a potential feedstock for biofuel production and nutraceutical applications. The fermentation of M. circinelloides was then successfully scaled-up to a stirred tank bioreactor. Since oxygen transfer is a key variable in aerobic reactor fermentations, the process was further optimized in terms of agitation speed, and aeration rate. Cultivation in a bioreactor was found to not only improve fungal growth, but also lipid content and lipid yield compared to that of shake-flask. The end result of this project was a scaled-up optimized fermentation process that will increase the M. circinelloides biomass yield and composition as raw material for food, feed, and fuel. This signifies a starting point for further studies aimed at assessing the development of a fully functioning fungi-to-food/fuel system on an industrial scale for several agricultural streams. At the same time, this pathway would safely treat effluent streams that are currently problematic for the industry to dispose of in an environmentally friendly manner.