Mara Renewables Corporation

Laura Purdue

Roberto E Armenta

Mercia Valentine

Michael Milway

Zhiyong Sun

Kevin Berryman

Alan Sothern

Zachary Sun

Joshua Lowrey

Provided herein are methods of culturing a microorganism. The methods include providing a container comprising one or more microorganisms in a medium, which has a first carbon to nitrogen ratio; culturing the microorganisms until the culture reaches a threshold indicator; harvesting a portion of the culture while maintaining the majority of the culture in the container; and adding fresh medium comprising a second carbon to nitrogen ratio to the container with the majority of the culture comprising the microorganisms.

Semi-continuous culture methods

Provided herein are fermentation methods that improve the nutritional value and physical properties of microbial oil. Specifically, provided is a method of producing oil with increased omega-7 fatty acids. The method comprises culturing oil-producing microorganisms in a fermentation medium with less than 0.3 mg/L zinc, wherein the culturing produces an oil comprising fatty acids, wherein the oil comprises increased omega-7 fatty acids compared to a control oil. Optionally, the oil is isolated from the microorganisms of the culture.

Algal oil with improved nutritional value

Provided herein are methods of producing oils with reduced saturated fatty acids. The methods include culturing oil-producing microorganisms in a fermentation medium in the presence of one or more antifoaming agents under a controlled carbon consumption rate, wherein the culturing produces oils comprising fatty acids and wherein less than 35% of the fatty acids in the oil are saturated fatty acids.

Method of making lipids with improved cold flow properties

Provided is a method of culturing one or more microorganisms. The method includes culturing one or more microorganisms in a medium comprising crude glycerol at a first concentration level, feeding to the media an additional amount of crude glycerol, once the first concentration of glycerol is reduced to a first threshold level, at a concentration sufficient to achieve the first concentration level, monitoring the crude glycerol concentration until the first concentration level of the crude glycerol is reduced to the first threshold level. The steps may be repeated until a desired microorganism cell density is achieved.

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Dartmouth, Canada

Laura Purdue