Culturing Methylotrophic Microorganisms to Produce a Biomass
AssigneeFarmless Holding B.V.
InventorsAdnan Oner, Maria Claudia Cuellar Soares, Wanqing Jia, Ana Maria Zetty Arenas
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Abstract
The invention provides methods of producing single cell protein products by culturing methylotrophic microorganisms The methods provide culturing conditions and processing methods that can be used to alter the properties of the single cell protein products. Also provided a single cell protein products produced by the methods and food products including the single cell protein products.
Claims46
A method of producing a single cell protein product for incorporation into a food product for human consumption, the single cell protein product comprising single cell protein and a concentration of Cytochrome C of at least 10×10−3-mM, the method comprising;
- culturing the methylotrophic microorganism in a culture medium comprising methanol at a dissolved oxygen concentration from about 15% to 50%;
- wherein the culturing conditions are configured to induce the methylotrophic microorganism to produce protein and Cytochrome C within a biomass and/or the culture medium to produce a culture broth;
- and/or
- to provide the single cell protein product with properties configured for use in the food product:
- wherein the culture broth comprises the concentration of Cytochrome C of at least 10×10−3-mM and/or wherein the biomass comprises a concentration of Cytochrome C of at least 200 pmol/mg of dry material of biomass.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the method further comprises processing:
- a. the protein of the biomass;
- b. the protein of the culture broth;
- c. the biomass;
- and/or
- d. the culture broth;
- or
- the harvesting further comprises processing:
- a. the protein of the biomass;
- b. the protein of the culture broth;
- c. the biomass;
- d. the culture broth;
- e. the acidified culture broth;
- and/or
- f. the supernatant.
A method of producing a single cell protein product for incorporation into a food product for human consumption, the single cell protein product comprising single cell protein, the method comprising;
- culturing one or more methylotrophic microorganism in a culture medium comprising methanol under culturing conditions for fermentation of the methanol;
- wherein the culturing conditions are configured to induce the methylotrophic microorganism to produce protein within a biomass and/or the culture medium to produce a culture broth;
- and/or
- to provide the single cell protein product with properties configured for use in the food product.
The method of claim any preceding, wherein the culturing conditions comprise exposing the methylotrophic microorganism to one or more conditions during culturing selected from:
- i) pH;
- ii) temperature;
- iii) methanol concentration;
- iv) nitrogen concentration;
- v) phosphorus concentration;
- and/or
- vi) magnesium concentration optionally
- wherein the one or more conditions comprises or further comprises one or more of:
- aeration rate;
- stirring rate;
- nitrogen feed rate;
- methanol feed rate;
- and/or
- nutrient feed rate;
- further optionally
- wherein:
- the methanol concentration comprises 0-10 g/L;
- the dissolved oxygen concentration comprises 15 to 45%;
- the pH comprises a pH from about 5 to 7;
- the nitrogen concentration comprises 0-1.2 g/L;
- the temperature comprises from 20 to 70° C.;
- the phosphorus concentration comprises from 0 to 2.0 g/l;
- and/or
- the magnesium concentration comprises from 0 to 80 mg/l.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the culturing conditions comprise stress conditions;
- optionally wherein the stress conditions comprise nitrogen limitation and/or oxygen limitation.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the methanol comprises sustainable methanol, optionally one or more of e-methanol, bio-methanol, blue methanol and/or grey methanol.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein culturing comprises restricted fermentation and/or unrestricted fermentation;
- optionally wherein the culturing comprises:
- a. a batch fermentation process;
- b. a fed-batch fermentation process;
- c. a continuous fermentation process;
- d. a feed-and-draw fermentation process;
- e. a perfusion fermentation process;
- f. a sequential batch process;
- and/or
- g. a cell recycle fermentation process.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the methylotrophic microorganism comprises one or more of at least one yeast, at least one bacteria and/or at least one archaea;
- optionally wherein the methylotrophic yeast is one or more selected from the group consisting of Acidomonas, Candida, Hansenula, Komagataella, Ogataea, Pichia, Rhodotorula, and/or Torulopsis;
- optionally wherein the methylotrophic bacterium is one or more selected from the group consisting of Acidomonas, Albibacter, Amycolatopsis, Ancylobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Chenggangzhangella, Clostridium, Hydrogenovibrio, Hyphomicrobium, Labrys, Leisinglera, Methanococcoides, Methanothermobacter, Methylacidiphilum, Methylibium, Methylobacillus, Methylobacterium, Methylorubrum, Methylocaldum, Methylocapsa, Methyloceanibacter, Methylocella, Methylococcus, Methylocystis, Methyloferula, Methylogaea, Methyloglobulus, Methylohalobius, Methylohalomonas, Methylomicrobium, Methylomonas, Methylonatrum, Methylophaga, Methylophilus, Methylopila, Methylorosula, Methylorubrum, Methylosarcina, Methylosinus, Methylosoma, Methylosphaera, Methylotenera, Methylothermus, Methyloversatilis, Methylovirgula, Methylovorus, Microvirga, Nocardia, Novimethylophilus, Oharaeibacter, Paracoccus, Pontibaca, Pseudomonas, Pyrinomonas, Rhodoblastus, Rhodococcus, Rubrivivax, Shinella, and/or Sporomusa;
- optionally wherein the methylotrophic archaea is one or more selected from Methanohalophilus, Methanolacinia, Methanolinea, Methanolobus, Methanomethylovorans, Methanosarcina, Methanobrevibacter, Methanothermococcus, Methanococcus, Methanotorris, Methanothermobacter Methanofervidicoccus, Methanosphaera, and/or Methanimicrococcus;
- optionally wherein the methylotrophic microorganism is a strain of Methylophilus methylotrophus.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the method further comprises harvesting the cultured protein of the biomass and/or culture broth or harvesting the cultured biomass.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the harvesting further comprises washing prior to separation and/or washing the separated biomass.
The method of any of preceding claim, wherein the methylotrophic microorganism is cultured using an unrestricted fermentation process and the single cell protein product has a viscosity of less than 200 mPa·s measured at 1S−1;
- or
- wherein the methylotrophic microorganism is cultured using a restricted fermentation process and the single cell protein product has a viscosity of more than 300 mPa·s measured at 1S−1.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the method further comprises processing
- a. the protein of the biomass;
- b. the protein of the culture broth;
- c. the biomass;
- and/or
- d. the culture broth;
- or
- the harvesting further comprises processing:
- a. the protein of the biomass;
- b. the protein of the culture broth;
- c. the biomass;
- and/or;
- d. the culture broth;
- using processing methods configured to provide properties to the single cell protein product configured for use in the food product;
- optionally wherein the processing comprises one or more of:
- (a) centrifugation;
- (b) homogenisation;
- (c) acidification;
- (d) drying;
- (e) enzymatic treatment;
- (f) cooling;
- (g) heating;
- (h) filtration;
- (i) rehydrating;
- (j) rotary evaporation;
- (k) acid gelation;
- (l) curdling;
- (m) texturizing;
- and/or
- (n) freezing.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the properties are selected from one or more of:
- rheological properties, protein concentration, aesthetic properties, organoleptic properties, structural properties and/or physical properties;
- optionally wherein the food product is:
- I) dairy analogue and the single cell protein product comprises a viscosity of less than 200 mPa·s measured at 1S−1, a cream like texture and/or a white or off white colour;
- II) a meat analogue and the single cell protein product comprises a viscosity of more than 300 mPa·s measured at 1S−1, an oil holding capacity (OHC) of more than 1.5 grams of oil per gram of single cell protein product, organoleptic properties mimetic of meat and/or appearance mimetic of meat.
A single cell protein product produced by a method according to any preceding claim.
A single cell protein product for incorporation into a food product for human consumption, the single cell protein product comprising a concentration of Cytochrome C of at least 10×10−3 mM;
- and wherein the single cell protein product comprises or is obtained from a culture broth produced by culturing a methylotrophic microorganism.
A methylotrophic microorganism biomass or product derived therefrom comprising a concentration of Cytochrome C of at least 200 pmol/mg of dry material of biomass or wherein the microorganism produces or has produced a concentration of Cytochrome C of at least 200 pmol/mg of dry material of biomass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.