Industrial fermentations, bioproducts

Industrial fermentations are used for manufacturing of bioproducts . They predominantly use glucose as a feedstock for the production of proteins, enzymes and chemicals. These fermentations can be batch, fed-batch, or continuous, and operate under controlled-substrate feeding and conditions that form minimal byproducts. Substrate-controlled feeding, pH, dissolved oxygen, and medium composition are critical operating conditions that must be controlled during fermentation in order to optimize fermentation time, yield and efficiency. Currently used methods and feedstocks, however, have drawbacks that reduce the efficiency of the fermentation processes. 

Approximately 89 million metric t of organic chemicals and lubricants, the majority of which are fossil based, are produced annually in the United States. The development of new industrial bioproducts, for production in standalone facilities or biorefineries, has the potential to reduce our dependence on imported oil and improve energy security. Advances in biotechnology are enabling the optimization of feedstock composition and agronomic characteristics and the development of new and improved fermentation organisms for conversion of biomass to new end products or intermediates. This article reviews recent biotechnology efforts to develop new industrial bioproducts and improve renewable feedstocks and key market opportunities. 

Wheat bran, starch, powdered skim milk, casein, peat, com flour, and the like are reported to be good fillers for drying liquid bioproducts in fodder, fermentation, pharmaceutical, and similar industries [18,19]. As applied to drying of lysine, for example, the use of wheat bran as an active filler gives the following advantages ... 

Bioconversion of renewable feedstocks to industrial chemicals has been described. In this chapter, we have illustrated technology that Genencor International has developed to harness biomass as carbon feedstocks for conversion to industrial products and to make available its bioengineered enzymes to convert biomass into fermentable sugars. This research effort provides a means for the production of desired bioproducts by enzymatic conversion of biomass-based feedstock substrates. This concept of using cellulosic biomass for manufacturing industrial chemicals has several incentives that can be explored and implemented. 

Up to now, most efforts have been devoted to the investigation of bioconversion processes rather than of de novo procedures, because they offer more economic advantages. Specific inexpensive, readily available, and renewable natural substrates are added to the fermentation medium so that they can be converted into the desirable flavor compound(s). In contrast to de novo synthesis, yields are high enough to permit the industrial exploitation of the bioproduction process. 

Grain crops, specifically cereal crops, are major feedstocks for the food and fermentation industry because of their high starch and protein content. Cereal crops are by far the most important crops cultivated globally. In 2009 about 2.5 billion tonnes of cereals were produced worldwide (FAO, 2010). Wheat, com, barley and sorghum are the common starch sources that have been traditionally used in food and industrial bioproduct manufacturing. Straw and stocks from cereal crops are also important as lignocellulosic feedstock for bioproduct manufacturing. 

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