Provided is a method of anaerobically fermenting a gaseous substrate to form a liquid product, the method comprising: (a) introducing the gaseous substrate into a bio-reactor, the gaseous substrate comprising at least one of the following constituents: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, (b) the bio-reactor comprising a fermentation broth therein, the fermentation broth containing at least two types of microorganisms, one type comprising at least one fermenting species, and the other type comprising at least one competing species; (c) introducing at least one type of ionophore into the reactor, the ionophore having selectivity for preferentially inhibiting the at least one competing species from growing and/or producing an undesired product; and (d) allowing the gaseous substrate to ferment by exposure to the at least one fermenting species, to produce the liquid product and a system for doing the same.

A system for growing algae for biofuel production includes a bioreactor configured to contain an algae slurry, an algae-water separator fluidly coupled to the bioreactor to receive and separate the algae slurry into algae and separated water, and an organics treatment system that receives a portion of the separated water and is configured to reduce a concentration of organics in the portion of the separated water. A recycle line conveys the portion of the separated water back to the bioreactor following processing in the organics treatment system, wherein the portion of the separated water is recycled and forms part of the algae slurry reducing the raw water demand of the bioreactor.

A process for production of biofuels from algae can include cultivating an oil-producing algae by promoting sequential photoautotrophic and heterotrophic growth. The method can further include producing oil by heterotrophic growth of algae wherein the heterotrophic algae growth is achieved by introducing a sugar feed to the oil-producing algae. An algal oil can be extracted from the oil-producing algae, and can be converted to form biodiesel.

A system comprising a collocated thermal plant, water source, CO.sub.2 source and biomass growth module is disclosed. A method of improving the environment by utilizing the system is disclosed.

Provided is a method for producing an organic substance, in which an organic material (metabolite) derived from a microorganism is reduced while retaining a nutritive substance in an organic substance-containing solution discharged from a fermentation tank containing the microorganism, whereby various nutritional elements contained in the organic substance-containing solution can be reused with high efficiency. A method for producing an organic substance by the microbial fermentation of a synthetic gas containing at least carbon monoxide, the method comprising a synthetic gas supply step of supplying the synthetic gas into a fermentation tank containing a microorganism, a fermentation step of subjecting the synthetic gas to microbial fermentation in the fermentation tank, an aerobic fermentation treatment step of subjecting at least a portion of a liquid produced in the fermentation step to an aerobic fermentation treatment in a liquid waste treatment unit, and a recycling step of supplying a liquid produced in the aerobic fermentation treatment step to the fermentation tank, wherein the aerobic fermentation treatment step is carried out in the presence of a nitrifying bacterium inhibitor.

The present disclosure relates to processes for producing hydrocarbon fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. A process may include introducing biomass to a pretreatment system forming a pretreatment effluent and introducing the pretreatment effluent to a hydrolysis system forming a hydrolysate. The hydrolysate may be introduced to a lignin separation system to form a sugar-rich stream and a lignin-rich stream. The sugar-rich stream may be introduced to a purification system comprising at least one toxin converting microorganism or subcellular material to form a purified sugar-rich stream, and the purified sugar-rich stream and one or more sugar converting microorganisms are introduced to a bioreactor configured to produce hydrocarbon fuels. Additionally, the present disclosure also related to systems for production of hydrocarbon fuels including, a pretreatment system, a hydrolysis system, a lignin separation system, a purification system, and at least one bioreactor.

The present disclosure relates to processes for producing hydrocarbon fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. A process may include introducing biomass to a pretreatment system, and a first separation system forming a pentose-rich stream and a pentose-lean stream. The pentose-lean stream may be introduced to a hydrolysis system forming a hydrolysate and the hydrolysate introduced to a second separation system forming a hexose-rich stream and a lignin stream. Additionally, at least one of the pentose-rich stream or the hexose-rich stream may be introduced to a bioreactor containing microorganisms configured to produce hydrocarbon fuels. Additionally, the present disclosure also relates to systems for the production of hydrocarbon fuels. A system may include a pretreatment system, a first separation system, a hydrolysis system, a second separation system, and one or more bioreactors. Alternatively a system may include a pretreatment system, a hydrolysis system, a sugar separation system, and one or more bioreactors.

A method and system are disclosed for producing a zein protein product from a whole stillage byproduct produced in a corn (or similar carbohydrate-containing grain) dry-milling process for making alcohol, such as ethanol, and/or other biofuels/biochemicals. In one embodiment, the method includes separating the whole stillage byproduct into an insoluble solids portion and a centrate (solubles) portion, which includes protein, such as zein protein. Thereafter, the centrate (solubles) portion can be separated into a water soluble solids portion and a protein portion, which includes zein protein. Zein protein may be separated out from the protein portion. The remaining protein portion may be further processed to produce a high protein corn meal. The resulting zein protein portion may be further processed to be sold as a zein protein product and/or used as or in, for example, coatings, fibers, adhesives, ceramics, inks, cosmetics, textiles, food products, pharmaceutical, and biodegradable plastics.

The present invention provides to a process for recovery of an organic compound (i.e. Ethanol, propanol, butanol, Acetone, iso-propyl alcohol) from a fermented broth which is produced from different fermentation technologies. The present invention particularly relates to an integrated process for ethanol separation from the fermentation broth using integrated vapor compressing unit (turbofans), evaporator (falling film) and a broth stripper column (vacuum distillation system). The process is operated under low temperature for the separation and recovery of the organic compound (particularly ethanol) from the fermented broth containing live microbes typically below or at 50 C. to ensure the activity of the microbes in the broth recycle. Again, the activity of the microbes is further ensured by maintaining the residence time of the microbe containing broth outside the Fermentor is less than or equal to 10 minutes.

A process for the continuous production of lactic acid (a first fermentation product) and of a second fermentation product selected from the group consisting of alcohols and biogas, may include starting from the milling, necessarily carried out under dry conditions, of cereals and more particularly of corn. In the context of this process, a main flow and a flow of wastes which are difficult to ferment are recovered from the milling. These two flows are treated separately but simultaneously so as to produce, by fermentation, on the one hand, lactic acid and, on the other hand, an alcohol and/or biogas.