Reactors for Modified Solid-State Fermentation
The subject invention provides for continuous production of advantageous microbes and/or by-products using a system capable of submerged fermentation, solid-state fermentation, and combinations thereof. In particular, the systems utilize cassettes or other similar containers as vessels for holding a solid substrate inoculated with a microorganism. The cassettes are aligned inside a tank, and the tank can optionally be filled with a liquid nutrient medium. The cassettes with substrate and growing microorganisms are removed from the tank for harvesting the microorganism, and a new, sterilized cassette with substrate can be replaced into the tank.
1 . A system for cultivating a microorganism and/or producing a microbial growth by-product, wherein the system comprises a tank, said tank comprising:
a front vertical wall and a back vertical wall in parallel to one another,
a left vertical wall and a right vertical wall in parallel to one another,
a horizontal bottom and a horizontal top in parallel to one another,
wherein said tank comprises one or more removable containers fitted vertically therein, and wherein said removable containers are cassettes or instrument sterilization baskets.
2 . canceled
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tank is fitted with tubing through which liquids are injected into the tank and/or removed from the tank.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the tubing is connected to a pump to power the injection and/or removal of liquids.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tank is comprised of one or more metals, metal alloys, polymers, or glass.
6 . canceled
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inside surfaces of the left and right vertical walls comprise vertically-oriented grooves, guides, notches or tracks for holding the removable containers in place, and
wherein the vertically-oriented grooves, guides, notches or tracks are situated such that the removable containers are spaced about 0.5 inch to about 1.0 inch apart from one another.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the removable containers comprise sides with a plurality of openings measuring 5 mm or less in size.
9 - 10 . canceled
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the removable containers are about 0.5 to about 1 inch thick.
12 - 13 . canceled
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tank bottom comprises an impeller.
15 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a sparging system and/or an aeration system.
16 - 17 . canceled
18 . A method for cultivating a microorganism and/or a microbial growth by-product using a system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
inserting one or more cassettes into the tank;
filling the one or more cassettes with a solid nutrient substrate;
seeding the system with an inoculant of the microorganism;
sealing the tank;
injecting air or another gas into the system; and
cultivating the microorganism until a desired cell concentration and/or concentration of the microbial growth by-product is achieved.
19 - 23 . canceled
24 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the microbial inoculant comprises cells and/or propagules of a bacteria, yeast or fungus.
25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the bacteria is Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Rhodococcus erythropolis and/or Azotobacter vinelandii.
26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the yeast is Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Pichia guilliermondii ( Meyerozyma guilliermondii ), Pichia kudriavzevii, Pichia occidentalis, Starmerella bombicola, Pseudozyma aphidis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and/or Saccharomyces boulardii.
27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the fungus is Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma hamatum, Trichoderma reese, and/or Lentinula edodes.
28 - 30 . canceled
31 . The method of claim 18 , wherein cultivation of each individual cassette occurs for 1 to 14 days.
32 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising collecting the microorganisms and/or microbial growth by-products from the system.
33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein collecting comprises removing one or more cassettes from the tank; emptying the solid substrate with microbial culture therefrom; and blending the solid substrate and microbial culture to form a slurry.
34 . canceled
35 . The method of claim 31 , wherein all of the cassettes are removed at one time and an entirely new batch of cassettes are placed into the tank and filled with solid nutrient substrate.
36 . The method of claim 31 , wherein one cassette is removed from the tank at a time and a new, sterilized cassette filled with solid nutrient substrate is placed into the tank where the removed cassette was located.
37 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the growth by-products are selected from biosurfactants, enzymes, biopolymers, bioemulsifiers, acids, solvents, amino acids, nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, lipid, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals.
38 - 39 . canceled