Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences

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Organizational Unit

Publications

Moesziomyces spp. cultivation using cheese whey: new yeast extract-free media, beta-galactosidase biosynthesis and mannosylerythritol lipids production

Publication . Nascimento, Miguel Figueiredo; Barreiros, Ricardo; Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Ferreira, Frederico Castelo; Faria, Nuno Torres

ABSTRACT: Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) are biosurfactants with excellent biochemical properties and a wide range of potential applications. However, high production costs, low productivity and unsatisfactory scale-up production have hampered commercial adoption. Herein, we report for the first time the beta-galactosidase production by Moesziomyces spp. from different sugars (D-galactose, D-glucose and D-lactose), with D-galactose being the best beta-galactosidase inducer, with 11.2 and 63.1 IU/mg(biomass), for Moesziomyces aphidis 5535(T) and Moesziomyces antarcticus 5048(T), respectively. The production of this enzyme allows to break down D-lactose and thus to produce MEL directly from D-lactose or cheese whey (a cheese industry by-product). Remarkably, when CW was used as sole media component (carbon and mineral source), in combination with waste frying oil, MEL productivities were very close (1.40 and 1.31 g(MEL)/L/day) to the ones obtained with optimized medium containing yeast extract (1.92 and 1.50 g(MEL)/g(susbtrate)), both for M. antarcticus and M. aphidis. The low-cost, facile and efficient process which generates large amounts of MELs potentiates its industrialization.

2022-06Journal article

Open access

Production of Mannosylerythritol Lipids Using Oils from Oleaginous Microalgae: Two Sequential Microorganism Culture Approach

Publication . Nascimento, Miguel Figueiredo; Coelho, Tiago; Reis, Alberto; Gouveia, Luisa; Faria, Nuno Torres; Ferreira, Frederico Castelo

ABSTRACT: Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) are biosurfactants with excellent biochemical properties and a wide range of potential applications. However, most of the studies focusing on MELs high titre production have been relying in the use of vegetable oils with impact on the sustainability and process economy. Herein, we report for the first time MELs production using oils produced from microalgae. The bio-oil was extracted from Neochloris oleoabundans and evaluated for their use as sole carbon source or in a co-substrate strategy, using as an additional carbon source D-glucose, on Moesziomyces spp. cultures to support cell growth and induce the production of MELs. Both Moesziomyces antarcticus and M. aphidis were able to grow and produce MELs using algae-derived bio-oils as a carbon source. Using a medium containing as carbon sources 40 g/L of D-glucose and 20 g/L of bio-oils, Moesziomyces antarcticus and M. aphidis produced 12.47 +/- 0.28 and 5.72 +/- 2.32 g/L of MELs, respectively. Interestingly, there are no significant differences in productivity when using oils from microalgae or vegetable oils as carbon sources. The MELs productivities achieved were 1.78 +/- 0.04 and 1.99 +/- 0.12 g/L/h, respectively, for M. antarcticus fed with algae-derived or vegetable oils. These results open new perspectives for the production of MELs in systems combining different microorganisms.

2022-12Journal article

Open access

Valorisation of spent tire rubber as carbon adsorbents for Pb(II) and W(VI) in the framework of a Circular Economy

Publication . Bernardo, Maria; Lapa, Nuno; Pinto, Filomena; Nogueira, Miguel; Matos, Inês; Ventura, Márcia; Ferraria, Ana Maria; Rego, Ana Maria Botelho do; Fonseca, Isabel Maria

ABSTRACT: Spent tire rubber-derived chars and their corresponding H3PO4 and CO2-activated chars were used as adsorbents in the recovery of Pb(II) ion and (W(VI)) oxyanion from synthetic solutions. The developed chars (both raw and activated) were thoroughly characterized to have insight about their textural and surface chemistry properties. H3PO4-activated chars presented lower surface areas than the raw chars and an acidic surface chemistry which affected the performance of these samples as they showed the lowest removals of the metallic ions. On the other hand, CO2-activated chars presented increased surface areas and increased mineral content compared to the raw chars, having presented higher uptake capacities for both Pb(II) (103-116 mg/g) and W(VI) (27-31 mg/g) ions. Cation exchange with Ca, Mg and Zn ions was appointed as a mechanism for Pb removal, as well as surface precipitation in the form of hydrocerussite (Pb-3(CO3)(2)(OH)(2)). W(VI) adsorption might have been ruled by strong electrostatic attractions between the negatively charged tungstate species and the highly positively charged carbons' surface.The results shown in this work allow concluding that the valorisation of spent tire rubber through pyrolysis and the subsequent activation of the obtained chars is an alternative and a feasible option to generate adsorbent materials with a high uptake capacity of critical metallic elements.

2023-06Journal article

Open access

Monitoring Yeast Cultures Grown on Corn Stover Hydrolysate for Lipid Production

Publication . Fontes, Afonso; Francisco, Ricardo; Ferreira, Frederico Castelo; Faria, Nuno Torres; Marques, Susana; Reis, Alberto; Moura, Patrícia; Lukasik, Rafal M.; Santos, José A. L.; Silva, Teresa Lopes da

ABSTRACT: Microbial oils can be used as an alternative sustainable and renewable feedstock to fossil reserves for producing lubricants and polyurethane materials. Two oleaginous yeasts were grown on non-detoxified corn stover hydrolysate supplemented with corn steep liquor and mineral medium in shake flasks. Trichosporon oleaginosus DSM 11815 displayed the highest lipid production. This strain was further cultivated in a bench bioreactor, using the same culture medium, under a batch regime. Flow cytometry was used to monitor the T. oleaginosus culture using the dual staining technique (SYBR Green and PI) for cell membrane integrity detection. Values of 42.28% (w/w) and 0.06 g/Lh lipid content and lipid productivity, respectively, were recorded for T. oleaginosus cultivated in the bench bioreactor operated under a batch regime. During the cultivation, most of the yeast cells maintained their integrity. T. oleaginosus has the potential to be used as an oil microbial source for a wide range of industrial applications. In addition, it is robust in adverse conditions such as lignocellulosic hydrolysate exposure and oxygen-limiting conditions. Flow cytometry is a powerful and useful tool for monitoring yeast cultivations on lignocellulosic hydrolysates for cell count, size, granularity, and membrane integrity detection.

2024-03Journal article

Open access