Novel Microbial Biomass Based Feed Products

Abstract

Aquafeed, animal feed, and other food products, as well as nutritional and pharmaceutical compounds, chemicals and biomaterials are important commodities that can be produced at commercial scale by fermentation of microorganisms. The present invention provides a method for producing these valuable multi-carbon compounds from simple gas feedstocks, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen, by cultivating a consortium of microbial cells specially selected for this purpose in an aqueous culture medium. In addition to exploiting inexpensive feedstocks, such as waste industrial gas for this cultivation, the platform described herein also provides the advantage of removing carbon dioxide and other waste gases from industrial emissions, which would otherwise contribute to global climate change. Furthermore, the cultivation of a microbial consortium can provide highly nutritious components to a feed blend that might not be available from a monoculture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing a consortium of microbes within a system, the system including a fermentation vessel filled with an aqueous medium comprising the consortium, the fermentation vessel having an input port into which gaseous substrates are introduced into the aqueous medium, the fermentation vessel further having an exhaust port through which gases exit the fermentation vessel, wherein the aqueous medium comprises inorganic anions and inorganic cations, the consortium including
 microbes from the genera  Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or  Methylococcus,    
 microbes from the genera  Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira, and 
 microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus;    
   introducing a first gaseous substrate into the input port, the first gaseous substrate including carbon dioxide;   introducing a second gaseous substrate into the aqueous medium, the second gaseous substrate including predominantly hydrogen gas (H 2 ), wherein either of the first or second substrates additionally includes oxygen gas (O 2 ); and   harvesting cells of the microbes from the system to generate a biomass product.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the microbes from the genera  Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or  Methylococcus  include one or more of  Cupriavidus necator, Cupriavidus basilensis , and  Methylococcus capsulatus;      the microbes from the genera  Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira further include one or more of  Rhodospirillum rubrum, Rhodobacter sphaeroides , and  Rhodopseudomonas palustris ; and   the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  include one or more of
   Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus lentus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacteroides amylophilus, Bacteroides capillosus, Bacteroides ruminocola, Bacteroides suis, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterum breve, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus cellobiosus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbruekii, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus parafarraginis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuterii, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus sporogenes, Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus cerevisiae, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Propionibacterium shermanii, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Streptococcus cremoris, Streptococcus diacetylactis, Streptococcus faecium, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophiles.    
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera  Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or  Methylococcus  comprise  Cupriavidus necator.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  comprise  Bifidobacterium animalis.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  comprise  Lactobacillus parafarraginis.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  include  Lactobacillus acidophilus  or  Lactobacillus casei.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  include  Bacillus megaterium.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  include  Bacillus subtilis.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the consortium includes adding the microbes from the genera  Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or  Methylococcus  into the fermentation vessel and then adding the microbes from the genera  Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira and the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  into the fermentation vessel. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the consortium includes adding the microbes into the fermentation vessel simultaneously. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the consortium includes adding the microbes into the fermentation vessel at different times. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a concentration of single-carbon atom molecules in the first gaseous substrate and a concentration of hydrogen gas in the second gaseous substrate are both higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO 2  and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO 2  and a concentration of CH 4 , wherein the second substrate includes a concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein all three concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO, CO 2 , and CH 4 , and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO 2 , a concentration of CH 4 , and a concentration of CO, wherein the second substrate includes a concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein all four concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO and CH 4  and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO and a concentration of CH 4 , wherein the second substrate includes a concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein all three concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CH 4 , CO, and CO 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single-carbon atom molecules comprise CO and CH 4  and the first gaseous substrate includes a concentration of CO and a concentration of CH 4 , and wherein both concentrations are higher concentrations than are found in the ambient atmosphere. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic anions comprise phosphate, nitrate, sulfate, carbonate, or ammonium. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic cations comprise iron, nickel, calcium, magnesium, manganese, or cobalt. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the microbes of the consortium has been genetically modified. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium produces a carotenoid. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium overproduces a vitamin. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium overproduces a protein. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one of the genetically modified microbes of the consortium produces astaxanthin. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the microbes from the genera  Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Rhodopseudomonas , or Arthrospira include any of  Rhodobacter sphaeroides  and  Rhodopseudomonas palustris,      the microbes from the genera of  Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Acidilactici, Pediococcus, Propionibacterium , or  Streptococcus  include any of  Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus , and  Lactobacillus casei , and   the microbes from the genera  Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or  Methylococcus  include any of  Cupriavidus necator, Cupriavidus basilensis , and  Methylococcus capsulatus.      
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the microbes from the genera  Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus , or  Methylococcus  include microbes from the species  Cupriavidus necator.