University of Alicante

We have developed a novel process for producing biofuel (bioethanol) and fungal biomass for sustainable crop pest management as by-product. This novel process can use waste from the shellfish industry (or other sources of chitin or chitosan), as an alternative raw material to the use of crops or agroforestry residues.

Our process is a sustainable way to eliminate the pollution caused by shellfish waste. We use nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi which are able to grow efficiently in anaerobiosis, producing ethanol from the reducing sugars obtained from chitosan, chitin or their derivatives (produced as a result of the degradation of the shellfish industry waste). These nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi are:

Fungi (as conidia and chlamydospores) are at given concentrations that allow rapid and abundant growth without producing self-inhibition.

ADVANTAGES OF THE TECHNOLOGY

• Fungi can grow under high chitosan concentrations (more than 2 mg/ml), which are toxic to other microorganisms conditions, thus reducing culture contamination.

• Fungi use chitosan as a sole source of nutrients.

• Fungi produce a large amount of reducing sugars which are fermented into ethanol.

• Fungi can grow under anaerobic conditions.

• Fungi are able to tolerate the amount of ethanol that they themselves produce in the culture medium (no self-inhibition occurs).

• Fungi encode in their genomes zinc-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases and pyruvate decarboxylases that are required to produce ethanol.

• Fungi produce ethanol and fungal biomass from chitosan rich residues of the shellfish industry, thus reducing pollution they cause.

• The process is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

• It is profitable process.

INNOVATIVE ASPECTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY

We have developed a new procedure for producing biofuel (ethanol) using shellfish industry waste and nematophagous or entomopathogenic fungi. It is a sustainable non-food alternative to crops or agroforestry waste processed, instead of the traditional fermentation processes.

We have obtained under laboratory conditions up to 2% ethanol by growing aerobic and anaerobically nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi (Pochonia chlamydosporia, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae) with chitosan as only nutrient source.

The research group has the know-how to scale-up and improve their results to pre-industrial level to show their full potential and profitability.

This technology is part of the field of Biotechnology . It is a novel process for ethanol and fungal biomass production as by-product using entomopathogenic and nematophagous fungi and a source of chitosan.

Applications:

• Biofuel production (bioethanol) as an alternative to ethanol produced by fermentation processes (using yeast) from plant as raw material.

• Production of fungal biomass for sustainable crop protection.

• Biodegradation and decontamination of shellfish industry waste (the high nitrogen content of this waste leads eutrophication, so that its uncontrolled disposal has serious environmental problems).

Companies or investors partners interested in acquiring this technology for commercial exploitation through:

• License agreement of the patents.

• Search for funding opportunities to develop new applications adapted to the specific needs of the company.

• Technology and knowledge transfer agreements.

• Technical reports and scientific advice services.

• Standardization, calibration, development of national and international technical standards.

• Provide technical support in those techniques that require highly skilled personnel or sophisticated instruments that are not available for the applicant.

• Staff exchange for defined time periods (eg. for learning a technique).

• Rental own equipment to customers who wish to conduct their own tests (through own infrastructure of the Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology or Common Research Facilities (SSTTI) at the University of Alicante).

The present invention is protected through 3 granted patents:

Patent 1:

Patent 2:

Patent 3:

The research group of Plant Pathology at the University of Alicante was created in 1990 (http://www.fungalinteractions.org/). Research in the group aims at understanding the mode of action (at molecular, cell and ecological levels) and practical development of biocontrol fungi. The group also works on the endophytic behaviour of nematophagous (especially the nematode egg-parasite Pochonia chlamydosporia) and entomopathogenic fungi (mainly Beauveria bassiana), and their implications in biocontrol and plant growth promotion. The research group also worked on the role of fungal root endophytes in natural vegetation under stress and their applications. The group is currently researching about chitosan (a seafood waste product) as a fungicide for human pathogenic fungi and yeast, and its compatibility with biocontrol fungi. After the genome sequencing of Pochonia chlamydosporia the lab is currently developing the fungus as a cell factory for antimicrobial, enzyme and biofuel applications (as this technological offer). These results have been published in more than 100 papers (and book chapters), most of them with high impact in the scientific and technological communities. The laboratory has requested more than 10 patents about the development of fungi (production, formulation) for biotechnological applications. The research group has also developed and patented the interactions of fungi with chitosan applicable to control fungal pathogens or to enhace biocontrol fungi. It has been also patented the application of biocontrol fungi in plant growth/development promotion. The plant pathology group actively collaborates with Spanish and international research groups (Germany, Central America, Australia, Brasil, Canada, Finland, Holland, Italy, United Kingdom, Russia and the USA), as well as with prestigious companies.