Other

Johannes Van Leeuwen

Samir Kumar Khanal

Anthony L Pometto

Glenn A Norton

Sipho C Ndlela

Mary L Rasmussen

Daniel Rudnick

Debjani Mitra

Methods of extracting chitin and chitosan from fungal biomass using a solution of one or more ammonia compounds, amines, and/or alkaline silicate compounds. The solution dissolves and extracts amino acids, fatty acids and other carbohydrates from the fungal cells leaving chitin and/or chitosan, and the extractant may be recovered from the liquid by simple phase changes such as heating or cooling, dissociation into volatile components, distillation and/or solidification and separation of immiscible extractants. Further lipid removal may be achieved with one or more organic solvents, which may also be recovered by distillation.

Processes for isolating chitin and chitosan from fungal biomass

The present invention is directed to an improved method of processing thin stillage from ethanol production and/or other industrial processes to produce high value fungal biomass that can be recovered by simple means. The effluent is sanitized and recycled using a novel disinfection technique. This innovative approach generates revenue from low value thin stillage, while reducing wastewater purification costs.

Purification of thin stillage from dry-grind corn milling with fungi

A method of processing stillage from fermentation derived alcohol is disclosed, including dry-grind ethanol production from corn, by fermentation with filamentous fungi. This produces high-value fungal biomass that can be recovered by screening, is easily dewatered and used as an animal feed, human food or as a source of nutraceuticals. The methodology uses an airlift reactor to enhance the morphology of the fungi for easy harvesting and separation of water for recycling and reuse and to recover added enzymes and mineral acid with the water. The process also separates oil from the stillage. The fungal processing removes organic substances from the water that are otherwise inhibitory to the reuse prospects for the water, i.e. suspended and dissolved organic matter, including glycerol, lactic and acetic acids. The process also separates oil from the stillage by enmeshing the oil in the fungal biomass and can produce more oil through cultivation of oleaginous fungi. This approach generates revenue from low value thin stillage, while substantially reducing stillage processing costs, mainly by averting the need for evaporation of the thin stillage.

Fungi cultivation on alcohol fermentation stillage for useful products and energy savings

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Ames, IA, United States of America

Johannes Van Leeuwen