ACIDOPHILIC FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM STRAINS, METHODS OF THEIR PRODUCTION AND METHODS OF THEIR USE

• US 20160002680A1
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fynder Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Montana State University
• Inventors: KOZUBAL, Mark K., MACUR, Richard E., INSKEEP, William P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,796,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/14 Fungi culture of mushrooms A01G18/00; as new plants A01H15/00; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/145 Fungal isolates
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/22 Processes using, or culture media containing, cellulose or hydrolysates thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2203/00 Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source ethanol C12P7/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 3/00 Preparation of elements or inorganic compounds except carbon dioxide recovery of carbon dioxides as by-products C12F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/065 with microorganisms other than yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6463 obtained from glyceride producing microorganisms, e.g. single cell oil
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/649 Biodiesel, i.e. fatty acid alkyl esters
• CPC Class Codes: C12R 2001/77 Fusarium
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The present invention provides isolated acidophilic Fusarium oxysporum strains, such as MK7, and their progeny, compositions comprising such strains and their progeny, methods of producing such strains and their progeny, and methods of using such strains and their progeny.

Claims

1. A method of producing an energy-rich substrate, said method comprising contacting a carbon source with an isolated Fusarium oxysporum strain to form a mixture, incubating said mixture for a period of time, and obtaining the energy-rich substrate following such contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Fusarium oxysporum strain is an MK7 strain, for which a representative sample has been deposited as ATCC Accession Deposit No. PTA-10698.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the carbon source is a biomass product.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the carbon source is a cellulosic biomass product.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the carbon source is a ligno-cellulosic feedstock or lingo-cellulosic waste.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the carbon source is a carbohydrate.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the Fusarium oxysporum strain and the carbon source are incubated in anaerobic or microaerobic conditions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the resulting energy-rich substrate is selected from the group consisting of ethanol and hydrogen gas.

9. The method of claim 2, comprising a pretreatment step, wherein said pretreatment step is selected from the group consisting of:

reducing the pH of the carbon source and Fusarium oxysporum mixture, adding manganese to the carbon source and Fusarium oxysporum mixture, and adding a nutrient to the carbon source and Fusarium oxysporum mixture before the incubation step.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy-rich substrate is a lipid, ethanol and/or hydrogen.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy-rich substrate is a lipid.

12. A method of producing one or more energy-rich metabolites using a Fusarium oxysporum strain, said method comprising the steps of:

a) making a mixture of a Fusarium oxysporum MK7 strain, and/or its progeny, with a feedstock material selected from the group consisting of ligno-cellulosic feedstocks, carbon containing waste products, carbohydrates, and a combination thereof in a container, wherein the material can support the growth of said MK7 strain and/or its progeny;

b) growing said MK7 strain in said mixture to produce one or more energy-rich metabolites; and

c) optionally, isolating said one or more energy-rich metabolites from the mixture;

wherein a representative sample of said MK7 strain has been deposited as ATCC Accession Deposit No. PTA-10698.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the feedstock material is wheat straw.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the energy-rich metabolite is ethanol.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the energy-rich metabolite is hydrogen gas.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the energy-rich metabolite is a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the FAME is selected from the group consisting of methyl tetradecanoate, methyl hexadec-9-enoate, hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, oleic acid, linoleic acid, conjugated linoleics, linolinec acid, methyl 11-octadecenoate, Octadecanoic acid, methyl ester, eicosanoic acid, methyl ester, docosanoic acid, methyl ester, and tetracosanoic acid, methyl ester.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the FAME is Omega-7 vaccenic acid.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the mixture is incubated in anaerobic or microaerobic conditions.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising a pretreatment step, wherein said pretreatment step is selected from the group consisting of:

reducing the pH of the mixture, adding manganese to the mixture, and adding a nutrient to the mixture.