New biorefineries: Extended use of plant biomass for microbial fermentation towards sustainability

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19KT0009
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Agricultural Resources for the Next Generation
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Kawaguchi Hideo 神戸大学, 科学技術イノベーション研究科, 特命准教授 (50463873)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 蓮沼 誠久 神戸大学, 先端バイオ工学研究センター, 教授 (20529606)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-07-17 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: コリネ型細菌 / 発酵 / ソルガム / 代謝 / 搾汁液 / 植物資源 / バイオマス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Biorefinery is an alternative process for petrochemical industry, and uses renewable feedstocks, such as biomass, for the production of fuels and chemicals towards circular economy. To produce value-added aromatic monomers from lignocellulosic biomass, enhanced effects of plant juice on biomonomer fermentation was investigated.
A high-biomass crop, Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), was selected as a model lignocellulosic biomass, and both of the juice and lignocellulosic residue of sorghum biomass was used for substrates for microbial production of a value-added aromatic monomer of 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-AHBA). Enhanced production of 3,4-AHBA was observed from “re-constituted biomass sugar solution” composed of juice and enzymatic hydrolysate of lignocellulosic residue of sorghum biomass, and the enhanced mechanism was investigated.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、持続可能な社会実現のカギを握る脱炭素技術を確立するために、再生可能な植物の資源ポテンシャルを活用した微生物発酵による新しいモノづくりの技術とそのメカニズムを究明した。セルロース糖化液と搾汁液を混合した“再構成バイオマス糖液”の利用により、セルロース残渣利用の問題点である生産性の低下を克服できることを証明し、植物資源からバイオプラスチックを生産する実現可能性を示した。