# US 2021/0340580 A1 · Use of galacturonate and or galacturonate polymers in conjunction with carbohydrates to control metabolic state of organisms

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- Number: US 2021/0340580 A1
- Document ID: US20210340580A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/376,613
- Filed: 2021-07-15
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-21
- Assignees: U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
- Applicants: U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
- Inventors: Theresah N. K. Zu; Christian J. Sund; Sanchao Liu; Elliot S. Gerlach
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340580A1

## CPC

- C12P 7/54: Acetic acid (vinegar C12J)
- C12N 1/20: Bacteria; Culture media therefor
- C12N 1/205: Bacterial isolates
- C12P 1/04: by using bacteria
- C12P 7/065: {with microorganisms other than yeasts}
- C12P 7/16: Butanols
- C12P 7/26: Ketones
- C12P 7/52: Propionic acid; Butyric acids
- C12P 7/56: Lactic acid
- C12R 2001/145: Clostridium
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- C12R: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES C12C - C12Q, RELATING TO MICROORGANISMS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A method of producing chemicals includes providing fermentative cells; co-feeding any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers with carbohydrates to the fermentative cells; and producing a chemical from the fermentative cells. The fermentative cells may include any of Clostridium acetobutylicum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum. The carbohydrates may include any of glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose, and starch. The method may include providing a substantially equal proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers and the carbohydrates for co-feeding to the fermentative cells. The method may include altering a proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The method may include modulating a production of the chemical by altering the proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The chemical may include any of acetate and butyrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling a metabolic process, the method comprising:
providing an anaerobic organism;
providing a first chemical substrate comprising a first oxidation state;
providing a second chemical substrate comprising a second oxidation state, wherein the first oxidation state is different from the second oxidation state;
co-feeding the first chemical substrate and the second chemical substrate at a predetermined mixture ratio to the anaerobic organism to primarily produce an optimized yield of a first chemical;
controlling regeneration of reduced electron carriers in cells of the anaerobic organism caused by the anaerobic organism's metabolism of co-utilization of the first chemical substrate and the second chemical substrate through alteration of the ratio of the mixture of the first chemical substrate and the second chemical substrate from the predetermined mixture ratio; and
co-feeding the first chemical substrate and the second chemical substrate at the altered mixture ratio to the anaerobic organism to primarily produce an optimized yield of a second chemical.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the anaerobic organism comprises a fermentative organism.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first chemical substrate and the second chemical substrate are selected from the group consisting of: galacturonate, gluconate, glucose, mannitol and glycerol.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first chemical substrate and the second chemical substrate comprise a carbohydrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the carbohydrate comprises any of glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose, and starch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced electron carriers comprise any of NADH, NADPH, thiredoxins, and ferrodoxins.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein one of the predetermined mixture ratio or altered mixture ratio comprises a substantially equal proportion of the first chemical substrate and the second chemical substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the anaerobic organism comprises Clostridium acetobutylicum or Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum.

### Claim 9

A method of controlling a fermentation process, the method comprising:
providing a fermentative organism;
co-feeding the fermentative organism with a mixture of at least two feedstock materials at a first ratio thereof to primarily produce a first chemical;
controlling a fermentation process of the fermentative organism by altering the first ratio of the at least two feedstock materials to a second ratio thereof; and
co-feeding the fermentative organism with a mixture of at least the two feedstock materials at the second ratio to primarily produce a second chemical.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the fermentative organism co-utilizes the at least two feedstock materials in the fermentation process simultaneously.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the fermentative organism co-utilizes the at least two feedstock materials from an onset of fermentation until one of the at least two feedstock materials is depleted.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the fermentation process co-utilizes the at least two feedstock materials in an oxidized or reduced form.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second chemicals are selected from the group consisting of: lactate, acetoin, acetate, ethanol, butyrate and butanol.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the at least two feedstock materials are selected from the group consisting of: galacturonate, gluconate, glucose, mannitol and glycerol.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the at least two feedstock materials comprise a carbohydrate feedstock and another feedstock having an oxidation state different from the carbohydrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein one of the first ratio and the second ratio comprises a substantially equal ratio of the at least two feedstock materials.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio of the at least two feedstock materials are selected from the group consisting of: 25% glucose and 75% galacturonic acid; 25% glucose and 75% gluconic acid; 50% galacturonic acid and 50% gluconic acid; 50% glucose and 50% galacturic acid; 50% glucose and 50% gluconic acid; 50% glucose and 50% galacturonic acid; 75% glucose and 25% galacturonic acid; and 75% glucose and 25% gluconic acid.