Extractive Fermentation for Production of Lactic Acid from Corn Starch by Filamentous Fungi Immobilized in Fibrous Bed Bioreactor

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The ability now exists to take simple starches and convert them into biodegradable plastic products for future generations. Using continuous immobilized fungal fermentation simple starches are converted to a 95% pure stream of L(+)-lactic acid. Commercialization of this biodegradable plastic precursor is being enabled by this project. Increasing the yield, volumetric productivity (g/l/h) and concentration of lactic acid in situ by applying continuous hollow-fiber extractors has proven effective. By simple functions of nature this lactic acid can further be turned into a plethora of other higher valued marketable green products. Thus the commercialization potentials are further improved by having generated several product streams from the one.