Investigation of Solid-State Fungal Pretreatment of Miscanthus for Biofuels Production
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Investigation of solid-state fungal pretreatment of Miscanthus for biofuels production DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Juliana Vasco Correa, M.S. Graduate Program in Food, Agricultural & Biological Engineering The Ohio State University 2017 Dissertation Committee: Ajay Shah, Advisor Thomas Mitchell Thaddeus Ezeji Frederick Michel Copyrighted by Juliana Vasco Correa 2017 Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant source of renewable energy, but its high recalcitrance to biodegradation needs to be overcome to allow its conversion into biofuels. Thus, pretreatment of the lignocellulosic feedstock is usually required. Fungal pretreatment using white rot fungi is an alternative process to traditional thermo-chemical pretreatments that degrades lignin and enhances the enzymatic digestibility of the lignocellulosic biomass. Fungal pretreatment can be performed in solid-state at low temperature, without added chemicals such as strong acids or bases, and no wastewater is generated. However, in comparison with traditional pretreatments, disadvantages such as long residence times, low yields, and feedstock sterilization requirements make it challenging to implement. This work investigates the fungal pretreatment of non-sterile biomass with the white rot fungus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, for the production of biofuels using the dedicated energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus. For this purpose, solid-state fungal pretreatment of non-sterile Miscanthus was performed in batch using Miscanthus previously colonized with the fungus as inoculum. The process enhanced the enzymatic digestibility of Miscanthus by 3- to 4-fold over that of untreated Miscanthus after 21 days of incubation time. The finished material from this non-sterile pretreatment was used as inoculum for two more generations in a sequential fungal pretreatment process. A ii propagation of indigenous fungi that outcolonized C. subvermispora was observed through the generations, showing that sterilization is a required step for the stability and reproducibility of fungal pretreatment. The changes in composition and structure of Miscanthus after fungal pretreatment were compared with those in corn stover, hardwood, and softwood. Fungal pretreatment increased the enzymatic digestibility of hardwood, softwood, and Miscanthus by 2 to 4.5-fold; however, it was not effective for corn stover. Also, fungal pretreatment was effective for Miscanthus harvested in winter or spring, but not for green Miscanthus harvested in fall. Therefore, fungal pretreatment with C. subvermispora showed differential effects that were feedstock-dependent. Fungal pretreated Miscanthus was used for the production of biogas via solid-state anaerobic digestion, and an increase of 25% in specific methane yield was obtained compared to the untreated Miscanthus. Fungal pretreated Miscanthus was also used for the production of fermentable sugars through enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial hydrolases for butanol production. Results indicated that fungal pretreatment with C. subvermispora does not produce significant amounts of lignocellulosic derived microbial inhibitory compounds that have been shown to inhibit butanol fermentation with Clostridium beijerinckii; thus, it does not require detoxification and/or washing after pretreatment. A techno-economic analysis of the process to produce fermentable sugars from Miscanthus using fungal pretreatment showed that the process is not feasible at full cellulosic biorefinery scale due to the high capital cost caused by the long residence time, the low bulk density of the material, and the low sugar yields. iii Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to express gratitude to my former advisor Dr. Yebo Li, who was my guide during the first four years of my program. Working with him was the highest privilege and his unconditional support was the foundation for this product. I am forever indebted to him due to the opportunities he offered me, the lesson he taught me, and the high standards he set for me to grow as a researcher. Likewise, I am deeply grateful to Dr. Ajay Shah for his guidance as a committee member throughout these years, and especially for welcoming me into his group for the final part of my work. He believed in me and provided me with autonomy and support, which help me to conclude my dissertation. I also wish to thank the additional members of my committee, Dr. Tom Mitchell, Dr. Teddy Ezeji, and Dr. Fred Michel. Dr. Mitchell is one of the most exceptional professors I have ever come across; his kindness and generosity, along with his passion for science, were a constant source of motivation. Dr. Ezeji and Dr. Michel were available any time I asked for advice, and their knowledgeable comments and suggestions enriched my experience and work immeasurably. The most valuable lesson of this journey was the opportunity to work with a diverse and bright group of people that were more than colleagues, and to whom I owe my most sincere acknowledgments. I want to thank especially Dr. Johnathon Sheets, Dr. Xumeng iv Ge, Dr. Xiaolan Luo, Dr. Fuqing Xu, and Ms. Lo Niee Liew. I will always carry their support, patience, advice, and friendship as the best memory of this time. I also want to thank Dr. Liangcheng Yang, Ms. Long Lin, Ms. Kathryn Lawson, Mr. Lu Zhang, Ms. Danping Jiang, and other members of the Bioproducts and Bioenergy Research Laboratory who were vital to that vibrant productive group, of which I was so honored to be part. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the members of the Biobased Systems Analysis Laboratory, especially Mr. Ashish Manandhar, Mr. Luis Huezo, and Ms. Asmita Khanal for their valuable assistance and friendship. I received unconditional support from the staff of the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, including Mrs. Peggy Christman, Mrs. Mary Wicks, Mrs. Candy McBride, Mr. Michael Klingman, Mr. Michael Sword, and Mr. Scott Wolfe, from whom I received suggestions for my project, administrative and technical assistance, and encouragement during the complex times. Finally, I want to acknowledge the financial support provided by Fulbright Colombia, Colciencias, and The Ohio State University through the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering; the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; and the Graduate School. v Vita 2009................................................................B.S. Biological Engineering, National University of Colombia 2012................................................................M.S. Food Science and Technology, National University of Colombia 2012 to present ..............................................Graduate Fellow, Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University Publications Vasco-Correa, J., Li, Y. 2015. Solid-state anaerobic digestion of fungal pretreated Miscanthus sinensis harvested in two different seasons. Bioresource Technology 185: 211–217. Vasco-Correa, J., Ge, X., Li. Y. 2016. Fungal pretreatment of non-sterile miscanthus for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis. Bioresource Technology 203:118–123. Vasco-Correa, J., Zapata Zapata, A. 2017. Enzymatic extraction of pectin from passion fruit peel (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) at laboratory and bench scale. LWT - Food Science and Technology 80: 280–285. Vasco-Correa, J., Ge, X., Li. Y. 2016. Chapter 24 - Biological Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass, In Biomass Fractionation Technologies for a Lignocellulosic Feedstock Based Biorefinery, edited by S.I. Mussatto, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Pages 561– 585. vi Zhao, J., Ge, X., Vasco-Correa, J., Li, Y.2014. Fungal pretreatment of unsterilized yard trimmings for enhanced methane production by solid-state anaerobic digestion. Bioresource Technology 158: 248–252. Ge, X., Vasco-Correa, J., Li. Y. 2016. Solid-State Fermentation Bioreactor Fundamentals, In Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Bioprocesses, Bioreactor and Controls, edited by M. Sanroman, A. Pandey, G. Du & C. Larroche, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Pages 381–402. Ge, X., Xu, F., Vasco-Correa, J., Li, Y. 2016. Giant reed: A competitive energy crop in comparison with miscanthus. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews 54:350–362. Fields of Study Major Field: Food, Agricultural & Biological Engineering Study in: Biological Engineering vii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xvi List of Figures ................................................................................................................ xviii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the problem .......................................................................................... 5 1.3 Overall