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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Renewable Product Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #283485

Title: Production of schizophyllan from distiller's dried grains with solubles by diverse strains of Schizophyllan commune

Author
item Sutivisedsak, Nongnuch
item Leathers, Timothy
item Price, Neil

Submitted to: SpringerPlus
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/19/2013
Publication Date: 9/22/2013
Citation: Sutivisedsak, N., Leathers, T.D., Price, N.P. 2013. Production of schizophyllan from distiller's dried grains with solubles by diverse strains of Schizophyllan commune. SpringerPlus. 2(476):1-6.

Interpretive Summary: “Schizophyllan” is a valuable biopolymer that can be produced by fermentation of the abundant fuel ethanol coproduct, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS); to further improve this process, we tested new microbial strains for production of schizophyllan from DDGS. The discovery of new microbial germplasm, and the utilization of biomass substrates, could reduce the cost of schizophyllan production and provide a value-added product from low-value agricultural residues such as DDGS. We discovered that most strains produced schizophyllan from DDGS, and two produced yields that were nearly equivalent to a commercial production strain. This work will be valuable to researcher developing new value-added bioproducts for the integrated biorefineries of the future.

Technical Abstract: Eleven diverse strains of Schizophyllan commune, to our knowledge never before examined for production of the biopolymer schizophyllan, were grown in malt extract (ME) basal medium containing 1.0% (w/v) distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS, an abundant coproduct of fuel ethanol production by the dry grind process). Ten of 11 strains tested produced more than 2.0 g schizophyllan/l. However, yields varied greatly on a strain-specific basis. Strains ATCC 20165 and CBS 266.6 produced 10.1 and 12.7 g schizophyllan/l, respectively, nearly equivalent to commercial production strain ATCC 38548. Furthermore, schizophyllan preparations from these strains appeared to be similar with respect to solution viscosity, molecular weight, and surface tension properties, suggesting that they would be equivalent in biomaterial applications.