BIOREACTORS COMPRISING FUNGAL STRAINS
Disclosed herein are compositions comprising an isolated cellulose degrading fungus. Also disclosed are culture compositions and bioreactor compositions comprising the cellulose degrading fungus. Further described herein are filtration and extraction devices comprising the cellulose degrading fungus. Still further disclosed are bioprocessing facilities for and methods for producing co-products resulting from one or more bioprocesses of the cellulose degrading fungus.
1 . A process for manufacturing a plurality of co-products, said process comprising:
a) inoculating a bioprocess reactor with an inoculum of a cellulose degrading fungus;
b) allowing a sufficient time for production of triacylglyceride by said fungus, wherein said triacylglyceride comprises at least 5% of the dry weight of the fungus;
c) harvesting said fungus;
d) extracting lipids from said fungus, thereby producing a lipid co-product.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said process further comprises:
e) drying said fungus, thereby producing a human or animal feed co-product.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus is a fungus of the genus Penicillium.
4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus is a lignocellulose degrading fungus
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said bioprocess reactor comprises a carbon source selected from the group consisting of: a solid feedstock, a hydrolysate in a liquid, and a combination thereof.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said co-products are selected from the group consisting of: aromatic compounds, lipid co-products, secreted metabolites, residual solid feedstock, reconditioned medium, fungal biomass, and a combination thereof.
7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said lipid co-product comprises a triacylglyceride co-product and a phospholipid co-product.
8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein said phospholipid co-product comprises lecithin.
9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus comprises a characteristic selected from the group consisting of: a 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene sequence having at least 98% nucleotide sequencing identity with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1; an ITS1 sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2; an ITS2 sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 3; and a 28S ribosomal RNA gene sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4.
10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus comprises a species selected from the group consisting of: Penicillium menonorum and a species being the same as NRRL deposit Accession No: 50410.
11 . A facility comprising:
a storage vessel comprising liquid medium conditioned by a cellulose degrading fungus;
an extraction apparatus comprising an extract of lipids comprising any one or more of triacylglyceride, phospholipids or lecithin derived from said fungus; and
a drying apparatus comprising dried fungus.
12 . The facility of claim 11 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus is a fungus of the genus Penicillium.
13 . The facility of claim 11 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus is a lignocellulose degrading fungus.
14 . The facility of claim 11 , wherein said liquid medium comprises a carbon source selected from the group consisting of: a solid feedstock, a hydrolysate in a liquid, and a combination thereof.
15 . The facility of claim 11 , wherein said liquid medium has been conditioned by a cellulose degrading fungus comprising triacylglyceride in the amount of at least 5% of the dry weight of the fungus.
16 . The facility of claim 11 , wherein said dried fungus is suitable for animal consumption.
17 . The facility of claim 11 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus comprises a characteristic selected from the group consisting of: a 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene sequence having at least 98% nucleotide sequencing identity with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1; an ITS1 sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2; an ITS2 sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 3; and a 28S ribosomal RNA gene sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4.
18 . The facility of claim 11 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus comprises a species selected from the group consisting of: Penicillium menonorum and a species being the same as NRRL deposit Accession No: 50410.
19 . A bioprocess reactor comprising a cellulose degrading fungus growing in a liquid medium, wherein the fungus comprises at least 5% triacylglyceride by dry weight.
20 . The bioprocess reactor of claim 19 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus is a fungus of the genus Penicillium.
21 . The bioprocess reactor of claim 19 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus is a lignocellulose degrading fungus.
22 . The bioprocess reactor of claim 19 , wherein said liquid medium comprises a carbon source selected from the group consisting of: a solid feedstock, a hydrolysate in a liquid, and a combination thereof.
23 . The bioprocess reactor of claim 19 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus comprises a characteristic selected from the group consisting of: a 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene sequence having at least 98% nucleotide sequencing identity with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1; an ITS1 sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2; an ITS2 sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 3; and a 28S ribosomal RNA gene sequence with at least 98% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4
24 . The bioprocess reactor of claim 19 , wherein said cellulose degrading fungus comprises a species selected from the group consisting of: Penicillium menonorum and a species being the same as NRRL deposit Accession No: 50410.