Novel Microbial Biomass Based Feed Products
Aquafeed, animal feed, and other food products, as well as nutritional and pharmaceutical compounds, chemicals and biomaterials are important commodities that can be produced at commercial scale by fermentation of microorganisms. The present invention provides a method for producing these valuable multi-carbon compounds from simple gas feedstocks, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen, by cultivating a consortium of microbial cells specially selected for this purpose in an aqueous culture medium. In addition to exploiting inexpensive feedstocks, such as waste industrial gas for this cultivation, the platform described herein also provides the advantage of removing carbon dioxide and other waste gases from industrial emissions, which would otherwise contribute to global climate change. Furthermore, the cultivation of a microbial consortium can provide highly nutritious components to a feed blend that might not be available from a monoculture.
1 . A method comprising:
providing a consortium of microbes within a system, the system including a fermentation vessel filled with an aqueous medium comprising the consortium, the fermentation vessel having an input port into which gaseous substrates are introduced into the aqueous medium, the fermentation vessel further having an exhaust port through which gases exit the fermentation vessel, wherein the aqueous medium comprises inorganic anions and inorganic cations, the consortium including
microbes from the genera Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or Methylococcus,
microbes from the genera Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira, and
microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus;
introducing a first gaseous substrate into the input port, the first gaseous substrate including carbon dioxide;
introducing a second gaseous substrate into the aqueous medium, the second gaseous substrate including predominantly hydrogen gas (H 2 ), wherein either of the first or second substrates additionally includes oxygen gas (O 2 ); and
harvesting cells of the microbes from the system to generate a biomass product.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the microbes from the genera Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or Methylococcus include one or more of Cupriavidus necator, Cupriavidus basilensis , and Methylococcus capsulatus;
the microbes from the genera Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira further include one or more of Rhodospirillum rubrum, Rhodobacter sphaeroides , and Rhodopseudomonas palustris ; and
the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus include one or more of
Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus lentus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacteroides amylophilus, Bacteroides capillosus, Bacteroides ruminocola, Bacteroides suis, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterum breve, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus cellobiosus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbruekii, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus parafarraginis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuterii, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus sporogenes, Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus cerevisiae, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Propionibacterium shermanii, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Streptococcus cremoris, Streptococcus diacetylactis, Streptococcus faecium, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophiles.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or Methylococcus comprise Cupriavidus necator.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus comprise Bifidobacterium animalis.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus comprise Lactobacillus parafarraginis.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus include Lactobacillus acidophilus or Lactobacillus casei.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus include Bacillus megaterium.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus include Bacillus subtilis.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the consortium includes adding the microbes from the genera Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or Methylococcus into the fermentation vessel and then adding the microbes from the genera Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira and the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus into the fermentation vessel.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the consortium includes adding the microbes into the fermentation vessel simultaneously.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the consortium includes adding the microbes into the fermentation vessel at different times.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of single-carbon atom molecules in the first gaseous substrate and a concentration of hydrogen gas in the second gaseous substrate are both higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO 2 and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO 2 and a concentration of CH 4 , wherein the second substrate includes a concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein all three concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO, CO 2 , and CH 4 , and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO 2 , a concentration of CH 4 , and a concentration of CO, wherein the second substrate includes a concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein all four concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO and CH 4 and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO and a concentration of CH 4 , wherein the second substrate includes a concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein all three concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CH 4 , CO, and CO 2 .
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO and CH 4 and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO and a concentration of CH 4 , and wherein both concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic anions comprise phosphate, nitrate, sulfate, carbonate, or ammonium.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic cations comprise iron, nickel, calcium, magnesium, manganese, or cobalt.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the microbes of the consortium has been genetically modified.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium produces a carotenoid.
22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium overproduces a vitamin.
23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium overproduces a protein.
24 . The method of claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium produces astaxanthin.
25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the microbes from the genera Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira include any of Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas palustris,
the microbes from the genera of Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or Streptococcus include any of Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus , and Lactobacillus casei , and
the microbes from the genera Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or Methylococcus include any of Cupriavidus necator, Cupriavidus basilensis , and Methylococcus capsulatus.
26 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the microbes from the genera Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or Methylococcus include microbes from the species Cupriavidus necator.