Methods for increasing carbon-based chemical product yield in an organism by perturbing redox balance in an organism as well as nonnaturally occurring organisms with perturbed redox balance and methods for their use in producing carbon-based chemical products are provided.

A method of producing chemicals includes providing fermentative cells; co-feeding any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers with carbohydrates to the fermentative cells; and producing a chemical from the fermentative cells. The fermentative cells may include any of Clostridium acetobutylicum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum. The carbohydrates may include any of glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose, and starch. The method may include providing a substantially equal proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers and the carbohydrates for co-feeding to the fermentative cells. The method may include altering a proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The method may include modulating a production of the chemical by altering the proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The chemical may include any of acetate and butyrate.

A method of producing chemicals includes providing fermentative cells; co-feeding any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers with carbohydrates to the fermentative cells; and producing a chemical from the fermentative cells. The fermentative cells may include any of Clostridium acetobutylicum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum. The carbohydrates may include any of glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose, and starch. The method may include providing a substantially equal proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers and the carbohydrates for co-feeding to the fermentative cells. The method may include altering a proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The method may include modulating a production of the chemical by altering the proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The chemical may include any of acetate and butyrate.

A CO.sub.2, bioconversion process includes providing a CO.sub.2 containing substrate to a bioreactor, the CO.sub.2 containing substrate including about 5 to about 90 mole % CO.sub.2; and fermenting the CO.sub.2 containing substrate with an acetogenic bacteria carrying a sodium translocating ATPase. The medium including less than about 0.01 grams per liter yeast extract, less than about 0.01 grams per liter carbohydrate, a sodium ion concentration provided by a sodium ion feed rate of about 290 to about 8750 μg/gram of cells/minute, and a pH of about 4 to about 6.9.

A CO.sub.2, bioconversion process includes providing a CO.sub.2 containing substrate to a bioreactor, the CO.sub.2 containing substrate including about 5 to about 90 mole % CO.sub.2; and fermenting the CO.sub.2 containing substrate with an acetogenic bacteria carrying a sodium translocating ATPase. The medium including less than about 0.01 grams per liter yeast extract, less than about 0.01 grams per liter carbohydrate, a sodium ion concentration provided by a sodium ion feed rate of about 290 to about 8750 μg/gram of cells/minute, and a pH of about 4 to about 6.9.

The invention provides for the optimal utilization of gas by a fermentation process, whereby the various components within the gas stream are separated to increase the efficiency of the microorganisms. The invention is capable of tailoring the composition of the gas being used by the fermentation process so as to enhance the production of various products. The invention is capable of applying such controlled separation and utilization of gas to produce different products in two parallel fermentation processes. The invention is also capable of applying such controlled separation and utilization of gas to produce one product in a first fermentation process, which may be converted to a different product in a second fermentation process. The invention is additionally capable of mitigating culture inhibition.

The invention provides for the optimal utilization of gas by a fermentation process, whereby the various components within the gas stream are separated to increase the efficiency of the microorganisms. The invention is capable of tailoring the composition of the gas being used by the fermentation process so as to enhance the production of various products. The invention is capable of applying such controlled separation and utilization of gas to produce different products in two parallel fermentation processes. The invention is also capable of applying such controlled separation and utilization of gas to produce one product in a first fermentation process, which may be converted to a different product in a second fermentation process. The invention is additionally capable of mitigating culture inhibition.

The present invention provides a method of enhancing continuous directional high-value biological conversion of an urban wet garbage open system. The method includes wet garbage crushing, low-energy consumption hydrolysis, continuous conversion of organic components of wet garbage into short-chain fatty acid, continuous directional conversion of other components of short-chain fatty acid into acetic acid, separation and microbial reflux of acetic acid, and the like. In this method, by crushing wet garbage, performing low-energy consumption hydrolysis, and seeding acclimatized activated sludge, two stages of anaerobic fermentations are carried out to firstly convert organic components of the wet garbage continuously into short-chain fatty acid, and then continuously and directionally convert other components of short-chain fatty acid into acetic acid, so as to realize continuous directional high-value biological conversion of the urban wet garbage in an open system without adding pure microbes and a large amount of chemicals.

The present invention provides a method of enhancing continuous directional high-value biological conversion of an urban wet garbage open system. The method includes wet garbage crushing, low-energy consumption hydrolysis, continuous conversion of organic components of wet garbage into short-chain fatty acid, continuous directional conversion of other components of short-chain fatty acid into acetic acid, separation and microbial reflux of acetic acid, and the like. In this method, by crushing wet garbage, performing low-energy consumption hydrolysis, and seeding acclimatized activated sludge, two stages of anaerobic fermentations are carried out to firstly convert organic components of the wet garbage continuously into short-chain fatty acid, and then continuously and directionally convert other components of short-chain fatty acid into acetic acid, so as to realize continuous directional high-value biological conversion of the urban wet garbage in an open system without adding pure microbes and a large amount of chemicals.

A method for producing a fermentate including the steps of obtaining a fruit or vegetable extract, treating the extract with a hydrolytic enzyme, mixing the extract with a fermenting microorganism, water, and a growth media to produce a liquid composition; and incubating the liquid composition at a controlled temperature and a controlled pH to produce a fermentate. A method for killing or inhibiting the growth of a contaminating microorganism on or within a food product, and a food product including a fermentate having a cellular mass component from a fermenting microorganism, a fermented fruit or vegetable extract and a hydrolytic enzyme are disclosed. A fermentate produced by any one of the methods described is contemplated. The fermentate may be a concentrated liquid or a dry powder and has the ability to inhibit the growth of a contaminating microorganism by 100% when diluted to less than 5% (w/v).