US 12,187,999 B2
Reactors and submerged fermentation methods for producing microbe-based products
Sean Farmer, North Miami Beach, FL (US); Ken Alibek, Solon, OH (US); Tyler Dixon, Kent, OH (US); Nicholas Callow, Solon, OH (US); Kent Adams, Oro Valley, AZ (US); and Karthik N. Karathur, Solon, OH (US)
Assigned to Locus Solutions IPCo, LLC, Solon, OH (US)
Appl. No. 16/955,541
Filed by Locus Solutions IPCo, LLC, Solon, OH (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 22, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/067409
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 18, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/133555, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/611,300, filed on Dec. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0318051 A1, Oct. 8, 2020
Int. Cl. C12M 1/06 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/02 (2006.01); C12M 1/12 (2006.01); C12N 1/16 (2006.01)
CPC C12M 27/02 (2013.01) [C12M 29/06 (2013.01); C12M 29/18 (2013.01); C12M 37/02 (2013.01); C12M 41/18 (2013.01); C12M 47/10 (2013.01); C12N 1/16 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
 
1. A method for producing a yeast and/or a yeast metabolite, without contamination, the method comprising:
adding a culture medium comprising water and a fatty acid source to a submerged fermentation system comprising a chaotic mixing scheme and a sparging system;
inoculating the submerged fermentation system with a viable yeast to produce a culture;
adding a sophorolipid or an antibiotic to the submerged fermentation system; and
operating the submerged fermentation system for an amount of time to accumulate a desired cell concentration and/or a desired concentration of the yeast metabolite in the culture, wherein operating the submerged fermentation system comprises mixing the culture using the chaotic mixing scheme and aerating the culture with the sparging system,
wherein the chaotic mixing scheme comprises an impeller and an external circulation system, and wherein the sparging system comprises multiple stainless steel microporous aerators, said stainless steel microporous aerators comprising a stainless steel pipe attached to an air supply, said stainless steel pipes comprising a plurality of holes 1 micron in diameter or less.