Microbial Conversion of CO2 and Other C1 Substrates to Vegan Nutrients, Fertilizers, Biostimulants, and Systems for Accelerated Soil Sequestration

Abstract

Microorganisms and bioprocesses are provided that convert gaseous substrates, such as renewable H2 and waste CO2 producer gas, or syngas into high-protein biomass that may be used directly for human nutrition, or as a nutrient for plants, fungi, or other microorganisms, or as a source of soil carbon, nitrogen, and other mineral nutrients. Renewable H2 used in the processes described herein may be generated by electrolysis using solar or wind power. Producer gas used in the processes described herein may be derived from sources that include gasification of waste feedstock and/or biomass residue, waste gas from industrial processes, or natural gas, biogas, or landfill gas.

1 . A biological and chemical method for the production of a plant biostimulant or mushroom growth enhancer, comprising:
 producing a fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, and/or mushroom growth enhancer that comprises biomass, amino acids, proteins, and/or vitamins from microorganism cells, wherein said microorganism cells are grown in a method that comprises:   introducing inorganic and/or organic molecules containing one or more carbon atom, into an environment that comprises microorganism cells in a culture medium that is suitable for maintaining the microorganism cells,   wherein the inorganic and/or organic molecules containing one or more carbon atom are used as a carbon source by the microorganism cells for growth and/or biosynthesis; and   converting the inorganic and/or organic molecules containing one or more carbon atoms into the organic molecule products comprising amino acids, proteins, and/or vitamins within the environment via at least one carbon-fixing reaction or at least one anabolic biosynthetic pathway contained within the microorganism cells,   wherein the carbon fixing reaction or anabolic biosynthetic pathway is at least partially driven by chemical and/or electrochemical energy provided by electron donors and/or electron acceptors that have been generated chemically and/or electrochemically and/or thermochemically and/or are introduced into the environment from at least one source external to the environment, and   wherein the microorganism cells comprise biomass that comprises said amino acids, proteins, and/or vitamins.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said microorganism cells comprise microorganisms selected from one or more of the following genera:  Cupriavidus  sp.,  Rhodococcus  sp.,  Hydrogenovibrio  sp.,  Rhodopseudomonas  sp.,  Hydrogenobacter  sp.,  Gordonia  sp.,  Arthrobacter  sp.,  Streptomycetes  sp.  Rhodobacter  sp., and/or  Xanthobacter.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said microorganism cells produce amino acids and/or protein and/or vitamins and/or biomass when cultured in the presence of a gaseous substrate under conditions suitable for growth of the microorganism and production of bioproducts. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said gaseous substrate comprises CO 2  and/or CO and/or CH 4  as a carbon source. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said gaseous substrate comprises H 2  and/or O 2  as an energy source. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said gaseous substrate comprises electron donors including one or more of H 2  and/or CO and/or CH 4 . 
     
     
         8 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said microorganism cells comprise  Cupriavidus necator  or  Cupriavidus metallidurans.    
     
     
         12 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, or mushroom growth enhancer, produced according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A method for treating a crop, comprising: applying the fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, or plant biostimulant according to  claim 14  to a plant and/or to soil in which a plant is grown and/or to liquid medium used to grow a plant; and harvesting the plant. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the plant is an agricultural crop. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said microorganism cells are lysed, thereby producing a lysate. 
     
     
         19 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, or mushroom growth enhancer, comprising a lysate produced according to  claim 18 , or an emulsion, suspension, or fraction produced from the lysate. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said proteins are hydrolyzed, thereby producing a hydrolysate. 
     
     
         24 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, or mushroom growth enhancer, comprising a hydrolysate produced according to  claim 23 , or an emulsion, suspension, fraction, filtrate, or filtride produced from the hydrolysate. 
     
     
         29 .- 68 . (canceled) 
     
     
         69 . The fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, or mushroom growth enhancer according to  claim 14 , wherein when applied to soil, said fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, or mushroom growth enhancer adds carbon and/or nitrogen to the soil, resulting in an increase in carbon and/or nitrogen content of the soil to which it is applied. 
     
     
         70 . The method according to  claim 69 , wherein said carbon source is a gaseous C1 molecule, and wherein the carbon added to the soil represents sequestered carbon, and the end-to-end process from gaseous C1 carbon source to soil carbon represents a carbon sequestration process. 
     
     
         71 . A method for growth of a crop, wherein said crop is grown hydroponically, aeroponically, aquaponically, or in a vertical farm system or is grown in a greenhouse, indoors, and/or using artificial lighting, wherein the fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, or mushroom growth enhancer according to  claim 14  is applied to foliage of said crop, to soil in which said crop is grown, and/or to liquid medium used to grow said crop. 
     
     
         72 .- 79 . (canceled) 
     
     
         80 . A fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, and/or mushroom growth enhancer that comprises biomass, amino acids, proteins, and/or vitamins from microorganism cells selected from one or more of the following genera:  Cupriavidus  sp.,  Rhodococcus  sp.,  Hydrogenovibrio  sp.,  Rhodopseudomonas  sp.,  Hydrogenobacter  sp.,  Gordonia  sp.,  Arthrobacter  sp.,  Streptomycetes  sp.  Rhodobacter  sp., and/or  Xanthobacter.    
     
     
         81 . The fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, and/or mushroom growth enhancer according to  claim 80 , wherein the microorganism cells are grown chemoautotrophically. 
     
     
         82 . The fertilizer, soil additive, soil adjuvant, soil stabilizer, plant biostimulant, and/or mushroom growth enhancer according to  claim 80 , wherein the microorganism cells are knallgas microorganisms.