Microbial consortium for the conversion of carbohydrates

Abstract

Described herein are methods to convert a carbohydrate-containing source to a carbonaceous product. In some aspects, the methods include contacting a first portion of the carbohydrate-containing source with a first inoculant comprising a LAB and acetogen, thereby forming a first fermentation mixture; incubating the first fermentation mixture to produce acetate; contacting a second portion of the carbohydrate-containing source with acetate and a second inoculant comprising a solventogenic Clostridia, thereby forming a second fermentation mixture which is incubated to produce the carbonaceous product. Also disclosed herein are fermentation inoculants for the conversion of a carbohydrate-containing source to a carbonaceous product, the inoculant comprising a LAB expressing an enzyme catalyzing the production of lactate from the source, a mixotrophic acetogen expressing an enzyme that catalyzes the production of acetate from lactate and formate, and a solventogenic Clostridia expressing an enzyme that catalyzes the production of the carbonaceous product from the carbohydrate source.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.