Claims
- 1. A method of producing succinic acid from industrial-grade hydrolysates comprising:
a) supplying an organism that contains mutations for the genes ptsG, pflB, and ldhA; b) allowing said organism to accumulate biomass; and c) allowing said organism to metabolize the hydrolysate.
- 2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the organism is from a genus selected from the group consisting of Escherichia coli, Klebsiela, Erwinia and Lactobacillus.
- 3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the biomass accumulates to between approximately 108 to 1011 cells per milliliter.
- 4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the industrial-grade hydrolysate is lignocellulosic hydrolysate, or corn-derived sugar solutions.
- 5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the temperature is selected from between approximately 25° C. and 45° C.
- 6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the biomass accumulates in an aerobic atmosphere.
- 7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the pH is selected from between approximately 5 and 9.
- 8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the hydrolysate is contained in a first feedstock amount and wherein the method is made continuous with the addition of a second feedstock amount.
- 9. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the second feedstock amount is added when succinic acid concentration is approximately 50 g/L.
- 10. A bacterial mutant characterized in that it produces succinic acid from substrate contained in industrial-grade hydrolysate in a ratio of between 0.6:1 and 1.3:1 succinic acid to substrate.
- 11. The mutant as recited in claim 10 wherein the substrate is a sugar se lected from the group consisting of glucose, lactose, sorbitol, xylose, arabinose, mannose, glucuronic acid, galactose, fructose, or combinations thereof.
- 12. The mutant as recited in claim 10 wherein the mutant contains an in-operative phosphotransferase system, an inoperative pyruvate formate lyase system, and an inoperative lactate dehydrogenase system.
- 13. The mutant as recited in claim 12 wherein the inoperative phosphotransferase system is the result of a point mutation.
- 14. The mutant as recited in claim 13 wherein the mutant is AFP 404.
- 15. AFP 184, as recited in claim 10.
- 16. The mutant as recited in claim 8 wherein the mutant is capable of utilizing more than one substrate simultaneously to produce succinic acid simultaneously.
- 17. AFP 404 as recited in claim 8.
CONTRACTUAL ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract Number W-31-109-ENG-38 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of Chicago representing Argonne National Labratory.