Thraustochytrid based process for treating waste effluents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016244789-A1
Application number	US-201615004809-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to the continuous process of sequestration of nutrients from waste effluents released from gas fermentation plants or green-house gases emission managing plants by novel Thraustochytrids. Particularly this invention relates to the methods and systems to enhance sequestration rate and productivity of the process. This invention also relates to rapid biotransformation of nutrients present in waste effluents into high value omega-3 fatty acids like Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and lipids for biodiesel. This disclosure is about means of processing of waste streams and producing value added products out of it.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A process comprising two staged continuous fermentation for sequestration of nutrients from waste effluents of gas fermentation plants using Thraustochytrids for producing high value omega-3 fatty acids and lipids for biodiesel, said process comprising;
(a) culturing Thraustochytrids strains in a first stage fermentation rector comprising of waste effluent stream and nitrogen source; (b) transferring the Thraustochytrids strains of step (a) through biomass harvesting system to second stage fermentation reactor having only waste effluent stream; (c) culturing the biomass culture of step (b) in the second stage fermentation reactor optionally in absence of nitrogen; (d) Separation of biomass and liquid broth and recycling of clear broth to gas fermentation plants; and (e) obtaining value added omega-3 fatty acids and lipids.

2 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein waste effluents were containing mixture of organic acids and alcohol and no sugar or carbohydrate.

3 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the selected Thraustochytrid strains are MTCC 5890 (DBTIOC-1), MTCC 5895 (DBTIOC-6), MTCC 5893 (DBTIOC-14) and MTCC 5896 (DBTIOC-18).

4 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein waste effluents contains acetate at a concentration of 5 g/L-100 g/L or more and alcohol at a concentration of 0.5 g/L or 5 g/L or more.

5 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein omega-3 fatty acid fatty acids were palmitic acid, oleic acid, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), or Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

6 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b), the culture from first fermentation reactor was directly transferred into the second fermentation reactor.

7 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (c), the culture of second fermentation reactor was cultured in absence of nitrogen.

8 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the absence of nitrogen increases the biomass in the range of 8 gm/litre/day to 150 gm/litre/day, preferably in the range of 8 gm/litre/day to 100 gm/litre/day.

9 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the absence of nitrogen increases the lipid content in the range of 20% to 90% from the first stage fermentation reactor, preferably in the range of 20% to 70% from the first stage fermentation reactor.

10 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the absence of nitrogen increases the DHA content in the range of 15% of total fatty acid to 50% of total fatty acid from the first stage fermentation reactor, preferably in the range 15% of total fatty acid to 35% of total fatty acid from the first stage fermentation reactor.

11 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) culture from the first stage fermentation reactor was continuously passed through biomass separating reactor to separate out biomass and broth.

12 . The process of as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step 1(c) concentrated biomass obtained from separating system was continuously transferred to second stage fermentation reactor.

13 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transfer of biomass directly from first reactor to second reactor enhance the dry biomass in the range of 8 gm/litre/day to 200 gm/litre/day, preferably in the range of 8 gm/litre/day to 150 gm/litre/day.

14 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transfer of biomass directly from first reactor to second reactor enhance the lipid content in the range of 20% of dry mass to 100% of dry mass, preferably in the range of 20% of dry mass to 80% of dry mass.

15 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transfer of biomass directly from first reactor to second reactor enhance the DHA content in the range of 15% of total fatty acid to 50% of fatty acid, preferably enhance the DHA content in the range of 15% of total fatty acid to 45% of fatty acid.

16 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step 1 (b) and step 1 (c) the second reactor was used to create continuous nitrogen stress condition to stimulate lipid accumulation in the cell.

17 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step 1(d) the culture coming out of second fermentation reactor was continuously passed through biomass separating system to separate out biomass and broth water and wherein the water was having zero dissolved oxygen was continuously recycled back for gas fermentation process.

18 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step 1(a) the waste effluent was continuously purged with air to remove traces of sulphide.

19 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the removal of sulphide increased the in nutrient sequestration in the range of 55 gm/litre/day to 90 gm/litre/day, preferably in the range of 40 gm/litre/day to 55 gm/litre/day.

20 . Novel strains of thraustochytrid having Accession No. MTCC 5890 (DBTIOC-1), MTCC 5895 (DBTIOC-6), MTCC 5893 (DBTIOC-14) and MTCC 5896 (DBTIOC-18).

21 . The novel strains as claimed in claim 20 , capable of producing omega-3 fatty acids and lipids for use in biodiesel.

22 . The novel strains as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the strains produce (a) dry biomass in the range of 8 gm/litre/day to 150 gm/litre/day; (b) lipids in the range of 20% of dry mass to 80% of dry mass; and (c) DHA content in the range of 15% of total fatty acid to 45% of fatty acid.

23 . Use of novel strains of thraustochytrid having Accession No. MTCC 5890 (DBTIOC-1), MTCC 5895 (DBTIOC-6), MTCC 5893 (DBTIOC-14) and MTCC 5896 (DBTIOC-18) for producing omega-3 fatty acids and lipids for use in biodiesel.

Assignees

• Indian Oil Corp Ltd
• Dept Of Biotechnology India

Inventors

• Mathur Anshu Shankar
• Singh Dilip
• MEHTA Preeti
• Gupta Ravi Prakash
• Tuli Deepak Kumar

Classifications

• C07C57/03

  Monocarboxylic acids · CPC title

• C12P7/6427 Primary

  Polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA], i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone · CPC title

• C07C57/12

  Straight chain carboxylic acids containing eighteen carbon atoms · CPC title

• C12R2001/90

  Protozoa {; Processes using protozoa} · CPC title

• C12N1/105

  Protozoal isolates · CPC title