Scale up of a solid state fermentation (SSF) pilot plant for the production of enzymes by lignocellulose utilization in ecosustainable applications
Author(s)
Tiso, Nicola
Date Issued
March 2, 2010
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
According to the modern and nowadays common concept of sustainability biomasses
are of increasing interest both as an energy source and as a valuable raw material for
the production of a large number of compounds, fine chemicals and goods.
This work focused on the development and the scale up of processes for the production
of enzymes from lignocelluloses by Solid State Fermentation (SSF) using a novel prototype demonstration plant at pre-industrial scale. The optimization of thesemprocesses, the study of new products and their potential for “green” applications are also essential parts of the present work.
Industrial productions are characterized by a deep and close correlation among the
product, the production process and the plant. The contemporaneous development and
the strict balance of those three aspects is the main basis for the success of any
technologically novel rising industrial activity.
As it results from the data of the scientific literature, in order to obtain profitable results
it is necessary to develop specific plants and dedicated bioreactors which can take into
account some particular characteristics of the new processes such as dissipation of heat
due to the metabolic respiration and/or hyphen fragility if filamentous fungi are used.
The high flexibility and the low utilities requirement are the most valuable qualities of
the plant design obtained.
We performed most of the experiments using edible mushrooms strains (mainly Lentinula edodes and Pleurotus ostreatus strains) setting the major interest on the production of extracts containing a pool of enzymes, almost entirely oxidoreductases.
A considerable part of this study was devoted to the investigation of novel applications
based upon these enzymes, focusing especially on laccase which is highly promising
for environmental features.
The results of the experiments shown the concrete possibility to apply laccases to the
biodeinking treatment of wastepapers and suggest that ligninolytic enzymes can be
useful utilized in novel remediation processes for recalcitrant pollutants removal.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze ambientali
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