Method and system for propagating a microorganism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10900016-B2
Application number	US-201615736938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for propagating microorganisms such as yeast using a carbon source that includes glycerol and a nutrient source that includes a stillage component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of propagating a microorganism, the method comprising:
(a) forming a propagation medium, wherein forming comprises combining glycerol and a stillage component, wherein the glycerol is in an amount of from 0.5 to 5 weight percent (wt/v) of the propagation medium, wherein the propagation medium comprises glucose in an amount of from 0 to 0.5 weight percent (wt/v), and wherein the stillage component is whole stillage, thin stillage, wet cake or combinations thereof; and
(b) growing a first cell mass of the microorganism on the propagation medium to propagate the first cell mass of the microorganism to form a second cell mass of the microorganism.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glycerol comprises crude glycerol from a biodiesel production process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glycerol comprises 75 to 90% pure glycerol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stillage component comprises an amount from 5 to 35 grams solids per liter of the propagation medium.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stillage component is thin stillage.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein weight ratio of glycerol to solids of thin stillage is in the range of from 0.05 to 20.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cell mass of the microorganism comprises an amount of cells less than 5 gram per liter of the propagation medium.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second cell mass of the microorganism comprises an amount of cells from 10 to 30 grams per liter of the propagation medium.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growing is by a batch, fed-batch or continuous process.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein substantially no ethanol is produced by the first cell mass of the microorganism or second cell mass of the microorganism during the growing for a time period.

11. A system for propagating a microorganism comprising:
(a) a propagation reactor vessel, wherein the propagation reactor vessel contains a propagation medium comprising:
(i) glycerol in an amount of from 0.5 to 5 weight percent (wt/v) of the propagation medium;
(ii) a stillage component, wherein the stillage component comprises whole stillage, thin stillage, wet cake or combinations thereof; and glucose in an amount of from 0 to 0.5 weight percent (wt/v); and
(iii) a first cell mass of microorganism; wherein the microorganism can use the propagation medium as a feed source and wherein the propagation reactor vessel is configured for growth of the first cell mass of microorganism to form a second cell mass of microorganism; and

(b) an aerator coupled to the propagation reactor vessel.

Assignees

• Poet Res Inc

Inventors

• Narendranath Neelakantam V
• Lewis Stephen M

Classifications

• C12N1/16

  Yeasts; Culture media therefor · CPC title

• C12N1/18

  Baker's yeast; Brewer's yeast · CPC title

• C12M29/24

  Recirculation of gas · CPC title

• C12N1/32 Primary

  Processes using, or culture media containing, lower alkanols, i.e. C1 to C6 · CPC title