Screening method for Enzyme-based liquefaction of corn stover pellets at high solids.

Liquefaction of high solid loadings of unpretreated corn stover pellets has been demonstrated with rheology of the resulting slurries enabling mixing and movement within biorefinery bioreactors. However, some forms of pelleted stover do not readily liquefy, so it is important to screen out lots of unsuitable pellets before processing is initiated. This work reports a laboratory assay that rapidly assesses whether pellets have the potential for enzyme-based liquefaction at high solids loadings. Twenty-eight pelleted corn stover (harvested at the same time and location) were analyzed using 20 mL enzyme solutions (3 FPU cellulase/ g biomass) at 30 % w/v solids loading. Imaging together with measurement of reducing sugars were performed over 24-hours. Some samples formed concentrated slurries of 300 mg/mL (dry basis) in the small-scale assay, which was later confirmed in an agitated bioreactor. Also, the laboratory assay showed potential for optimizing enzyme formulations that could be employed for slurry formation.

Production of Whole-Cell Lipase from Streptomyces clavuligerus in a Bench-Scale Bioreactor and Its First Evaluation as Biocatalyst for Synthesis in Organic Medium.

This work evaluated a wild-type Streptomyces clavuligerus strain as a whole-cell lipase (Sc-WCL) producer by submerged fermentation. In an orbital shaker, lipase hydrolytic activity of 3000 U L-1, measured at pH 9.0 and 37 °C by using p-nitrophenyl palmitate as substrate, was achieved after 36 h fermentation using glycerol-free production medium in a baffled Erlenmeyer flask at 28 °C and pH 6.8. Maximum productivity of 52.5 U L-1 h-1 was achieved after 24 h in bioreactor using glycerol-free production medium at pH 6.8 and 28 °C, with agitation at 400 rpm and aeration at 1 vvm. Sc-WCL was shown to be more active at 60 °C and pH 10.7, while higher activity retention was observed at 30-40 °C after 1 h incubation at pH 10. Sc-WCL showed to have potential to be used as biocatalyst in hydrolysis and esterification reactions. In the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl palmitate, lyophilized Sc-WCL expressed a hydrolytic activity (330 units g-1 solid, measured at 37 °C and pH 9.0) around 100-fold higher than the ones declared by a supplier of lyophilized powders of mixtures of intracellular lipases from Thermus thermophiles and Thermus flavus (≥3.0 units g-1 solid, measured at 65 °C and pH 8.0). In the synthesis of butyl butyrate in anhydrous medium, 85% ester conversion was achieved at 37 °C after 8 h reaction. Thus, Sc-WCL showed to be a promising biocatalyst because it is cheaper than the isolated and purified lipases.