Granted Patent
B2
US 12,371,855 · App. 17/242,256 · Granted Jul 29, 2025
Use of ensiled biomass for increased efficiency of the pretreatment of biomass
Inventors:
Harsha D. Magurudeniya (Newport News, VA); Alberto Rodriguez (Oakland, CA); Nawa Raj Baral (Hayward, CA); Blake A. Simmons (San Francisco, CA); John M. Gladden (Alameda, CA)
Assignees:
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA; NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SANDIA, LLC
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Abstract
The present invention provides for a method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising: (a) ensiling a biomass to produce comprising one or more organic acids, and (b) introducing a solvent to the ensiled biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass in the solvent, wherein the solvent is an ionic liquid (IL) or deep eutectic solvent (DES), or mixture thereof, to form a solubilized biomass mixture.
Claims (15)
1. A method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising:
(a) ensiling a biomass to produce one or more organic acids,
(b) introducing a solvent to the ensiled biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass in the solvent, wherein the solvent is an ionic liquid (IL), to form a solubilized biomass mixture, wherein the solvent introduced is 2.5 to 10% by weight of the ensiled biomass,
(c) introducing an enzyme to the solubilized biomass mixture such that the enzyme produces a sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture, and
(d) introducing a genetically modified host cell to the solubilized biomass such that the genetically modified host cell converts the sugar produced from the biomass into a biofuel or chemical compound.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme is a cellulase.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises (e) separating the sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (a), (b), (c) and (d) do not comprise or lack introducing or adding any water to the biomass or biomass mixture.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of sugar produced in step (c) is equal to or more than an amount of sugar produced using an identical method except the identical method lacks the ensiling step (a) and the identical method using equal to or more than double an amount of the IL used in step (b).
6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the genetically modified host cell is resistant to the one or more organic acids.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the organic acid is acetic acid, lactic acid, formic acid, or an aromatic organic acid.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the organic acid is benzoic acid or vanillic acid.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IL comprises an organic ammonium-based cation and an organic carboxylic acid-based anion.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IL comprises a quaternary ammonium salt with an amine, amide, alcohol, or carboxylic acid.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the genetically modified host cell is Rhodosporidium toruloides.
Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Aug 4, 2021
From: BARAL, NAWA RAJ; SIMMONS, BLAKE A.
To: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Reel/Frame 057083/0018 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Aug 4, 2021
From: MAGURUDENIYA, HARSHA D.; RODRIGUEZ, ALBERTO; GLADDEN, JOHN M.
To: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SANDIA, LLC
Reel/Frame 057083/0673 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE
Recorded Jun 10, 2021
From: UNIVERSITY OF CALIF-LAWRENC BERKELEY LAB
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 056497/0361 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application
63016877
· Apr 28, 2020
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