The aim of the project is to evaluate the microbial usability of process waters that are generated as a by-product or residual stream during the thermochemical conversion of biomass. These fractions cannot be used energetically efficiently due to their low calorific value, but could offer an alternative and supplement to established industrial complex media such as corn steep liquor or molasses for microbial fermentation processes due to their high organic carbon content as a carbon source. The industrially established production strain Aspergillus oryzae will be used to produce basic chemicals from the aqueous condensate produced during the fast pyrolysis of ash-rich lignocellulose as an example. For the production of this process water, different biomasses are to be used, different operating variants of the fast pyrolysis as well as different possibilities for its conditioning are to be tested. The aim is to modify and optimize process water with a view to fermentation.

Within the scope of the project, KIT-Tebi will establish the most complete possible utilization of aqueous condensate as a carbon source, using a fungal model system, the malic acid production with Aspergillus oryzae . This project will concentrate on the further pretreatment of the process waters and on the targeted genetic modification of the production organism.