Biochar as a microbial carrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a microbial delivery system where biochar acts as a carrier for microbes.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A microbial delivery system comprising:
 biochar having pores; and   microbes retained on the surface or in the pores of the biochar.   
     
     
         2 . The delivery system of  claim 1 , where at least some of the microbes are inoculated into the pores of the biochar. 
     
     
         3 . The delivery system of  claim 2 , where the microbes are inoculated into the pores of the biochar using mechanical, chemical, or biological assistance to move the microbes either into the pores of the biochar or onto the surfaces of the biochar. 
     
     
         4 . The delivery system of  claim 3  where the microbes are inoculated into the pores of the biochar using the application of positive or negative pressure. 
     
     
         5 . The delivery system of  claim 3  where the microbes are inoculated into the pores of the biochar using a surfactant. 
     
     
         6 . The delivery system of  claim 1  where the microbes are retained by the biochar through mixing the biochar and microbes together. 
     
     
         7 . The delivery system of  claim 6  where the microbes are retained on the biochar by suspending the microbes in liquid and depositing the microbes on the biochar. 
     
     
         8 . The delivery system of  claim 1  where the microbes retained by the biochar are selected from the group consisting of:  Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Microccocus, Aereobacter, Flavobacterium, Erwinia, Klebsiella , and  Enterobacter , including  Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus edaphicus, Bacillus circulans, Paenibacillus  spp.,  Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, Pseudomonas cepacia, Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella varticola, Pantoea aggioinerans ; fungi such as  Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices, Aspergillus terreus  and  Aspergillus niger.    
     
     
         9 . The delivery system of  claim 1  where the biochar is treated biochar. 
     
     
         10 . The delivery system of  claim 9  where the biochar has been treated to alter one or more of the following properties of the biochar: pH; hydrophobicity; hydrophilicity; ability of the biochar to hold moisture; ability of the biochar to retain and exchange certain types of nutrients; ion exchange capacity; physical protection from environmental hazards or protozoa; presence or absence of nutrients, micronutrients, or sources of metabolic carbon; or ability of the biochar to host other symbiotic microbes or plant systems. 
     
     
         11 . The delivery system of  claim 1 , where at least some of the microbes are retained on the biochar through integrated growth with the biochar. 
     
     
         12 . A method for delivering microbes into an environment, the method comprising combining biochar and microbes in the environment, where the biochar has been treated to have suitable properties for the microbes in the environment in which the biochar and microbes are combined. 
     
     
         13 . Biochar having pores where pores are filled with a media containing microbes, where the media is infused into the pores of the biochar. 
     
     
         14 . The biochar of  claim 13  where the microbes includes microorganisms selected from the group consisting of:  Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Microccocus, Aereobacter, Flavobacterium, Erwinia, Klebsiella , and  Enterobacter , including  Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus edaphicus, Bacillus circulans, Paenibacillus  spp.,  Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, Pseudomonas cepacia, Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella variicola, Pantoea agglomerans ; fungi such as  Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices, Aspergillus terreus  and  Aspergillus niger.    
     
     
         15 . The biochar of  claim 13  where the media is infused into the pores of the biochar using positive or negative pressure. 
     
     
         16 . The biochar of  claim 13  where the media is infused into the pores of the biochar using a surfactant. 
     
     
         17 . The biochar of  claim 16  where the surfactant treatment comprises adding 1% surfactant to the media. 
     
     
         18 . The biochar of  claim 13  where the pores of the biochar are treated prior to infusion with the media. 
     
     
         19 . The biochar of  claim 13  where the moisture content of the pores of the biochar are adjusted prior to infusion with the media. 
     
     
         20 . Biochar for use in agricultural, remediation, public health, or animal application, the biochar comprising a porous carbonaceous particle that has been treated and/or mixed with media containing microbes, whereby the porous carbonaceous particle after treatment and/or mixing has retained the media in at least some of the pores of the porous carbonaceous particle. 
     
     
         21 . The biochar of  claim 20  where the microbes are microorganisms selected from the group consisting of:  Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Microccocus, Aereobacter, Flavobacterium, Erwinia, Klebsiella , and  Enterobacter , including  Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus edaphicus, Bacillus circulans, Paenibacillus  spp.,  Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, Pseudomonas cepacia, Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella variicola, Pantoea agglomerans ; fungi such as  Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices, Aspergillus terreus  and  Aspergillus niger.    
     
     
         22 . A method for creating enhanced biochar, the method comprising the steps of infusing media containing microbes into the pores of biochar. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  where the media is infused into the pores of the biochar using positive or negative pressure. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  where the media is infused into the pores of the biochar using a surfactant. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  where the media includes microorganisms selected from the group consisting of:  Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Microccocus, Aereobacter, Flavobacterium, Erwinia, Klebsiella , and  Enterobacter , including  Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus edaphicus, Bacillus circulans, Paenibacillus  spp.,  Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, Pseudomonas cepacia, Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella variicola, Pantoea agglomerans ; fungi such as  Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices, Aspergillus terreus  and  Aspergillus niger.    
     
     
         26 . A methods for integrating a microbial community with a biochar particle, the method selected from the group consisting of: while under vacuum, pulling the microbial solution through a treated biochar bed that is resting on a membrane filter; spraying a microbial solution on top of a treated biochar bed; lyophilizing a microbial solution and then blending the freeze dried solution with the treated biochar; again infusing, the treated biochar with a microbial solution; adding treated biochar to a growth medium, inoculating with the microbe, and incubating to allow the microbe to grow in said biochar containing medium; infusing, as defined previously, the biochar with a food source and then introducing the substrate infused biochar to a microbe and incubating to allow the microbes to grow; blending commercially available strains in dry form with treated biochar; adding the treated biochar to a microbial solution and then centrifuging at a high speed, potentially with a density gradient in order to promote the biochar to spin down with the microbes; densely packing a column with treated biochar and then gravity flowing a microbial solution through the column and possibly repeating this multiple times; or adding the microbe to a solution based binder that is well known to enter the treated biochar pores and then adding said solution to the treated biochar. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  where biochar is sterilized before being infused with the microbial community. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  where the microbial community includes a microorganism selected from the group consisting of:  Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Microccocus, Aereobacter, Flavobacterium, Erwinia, Klebsiella , and  Enterobacter , including  Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus edaphicus, Bacillus circulans, Paenibacillus  spp.,  Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, Pseudomonas cepacia, Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella variicola, Pantoea agglomerans ; fungi such as  Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices, Aspergillus terreus  and  Aspergillus niger.    
     
     
         29 . The biochar of  claim 20  where the biochar has been treated to alter one or more of the following properties of the biochar: pH; hydrophobicity; hydrophilicity; ability of the biochar to hold moisture; ability of the biochar to retain and exchange certain types of nutrients; ion exchange capacity; physical protection from environmental hazards or protozoa; presence or absence of nutrients, micronutrients, or sources of metabolic carbon; or ability of the biochar to host other symbiotic microbes or plant systems.