US 12,338,431 B2
Syntrophic co-cultures and uses thereof
Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis, Newark, DE (US); Kamil Charubin, Newark, DE (US); and Alexander A. Mitkas, Newark, DE (US)
Assigned to University of Delaware, Newark, DE (US)
Appl. No. 16/327,695
Filed by Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis, Newark, DE (US); Kamil Charubin, Newark, DE (US); and Alexander A. Mitkas, Newark, DE (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 23, 2017, PCT No. PCT/US2017/048176
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 22, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/039319, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 1, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/378,339, filed on Aug. 23, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/526,586, filed on Jun. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2019/0218505 A1, Jul. 18, 2019
Int. Cl. C12N 1/20 (2006.01); C12P 1/04 (2006.01); C12P 7/04 (2006.01); C12P 7/06 (2006.01); C12P 7/10 (2006.01); C12P 7/14 (2006.01); C12P 7/16 (2006.01); C12P 7/28 (2006.01); C12P 7/40 (2006.01); C12P 39/00 (2006.01)
CPC C12N 1/20 (2013.01) [C12P 1/04 (2013.01); C12P 7/04 (2013.01); C12P 7/065 (2013.01); C12P 7/10 (2013.01); C12P 7/14 (2013.01); C12P 7/16 (2013.01); C12P 7/28 (2013.01); C12P 7/40 (2013.01); C12P 39/00 (2013.01); C12P 2203/00 (2013.01); Y02E 50/10 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A syntrophic co-culture comprising:
(a) a first microorganism, wherein the first microorganism is a solventogenic microorganism selected from the group consisting of Clostridium acetobutylicum, Clostridium beijerinckii, Clostridium butylicum, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Clostridium pasteurianum, Clostridium saccharobutylicum, Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum, Clostridium akagii, Clostridium algidicarnis, Clostridium arbusti, Clostridium aurantibutylicum, Clostridium Clostridium neopropionicum, Clostridium saccharoacetobutylicum, Clostridium sporogenes, Clostridium tetanomorphum, Clostridium thermoaceticum, Clostridium thermocellum, Clostridium thermobutyricum, Clostridium butyricum, and Clostridium cellulovorans,
(b) a second microorganism, wherein the second microorganism is different from the first microorganism and is selected from the group consisting of acetogenic microorganisms and Clostridium kluyveri, wherein the acetogenic microorganisms are selected from the group consisting of Acetobacterium wieringae, Acetobacterium woodii, Butyribacterium methylotrophicum, Clostridium aceticum, Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium carboxidivorans, Clostridium drakei, Clostridium formicaceticum, Clostridium ljungdahlii, Eubacterium limosum, and Moorella thermoacetica, and wherein the first microorganism and the second microorganism are fused together through their respective cell membranes, and
(c) a growth medium, wherein the growth medium comprises a carbohydrate and exogenous H2, and the carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of C5 and C6 sugars, oligosaccharides, hemicellulose, cellulose, starches and a combination thereof,
wherein the first microorganism and the second microorganism are present in the co-culture at a ratio in the range of from 1:2.5 to 1:20,
wherein the first microorganism consumes the carbohydrate, and produces CO2, electrons, and at least one other first metabolic product,
wherein the CO2, the electrons, and the at least one other first metabolic product produced by the first microorganism are transferred from the first microorganism into the second microorganism through the cell fusion,
wherein the second microorganism consumes the CO2, the electrons, the at least one other first metabolic product produced by the first microorganism, and the exogenous H2, converts the at least one other first metabolic product by the first microorganism into at least one second product, and produces at least one third metabolic product,
wherein the at least one third metabolic product is transferred from the second microorganism to the first microorganism through the cell fusion, and
wherein the first microorganism consumes the at least one third metabolic product, and produces at least one fourth metabolic product.