Biotechnological platform for sustainable and integrated production of biomolecules from sugarcane biomass using Antarctic yeast

• Grant number: 23/18416-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria das Graças de Almeida Felipe
• Grantee: Maria das Graças de Almeida Felipe
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Adalberto Pessoa Junior
• Associated researchers: André Moreni Lopes ; Anuj Kumar ; Cassamo Ussemane Mussagy ; Elena Tsalaporta ; Fanny Machado Jofre ; Fernando Segato ; Florbela de Oliveira Carvalheiro Esteves Amaro ; Francisco Vitor Santos da Silva ; Giuliano Marcelo Dragone ; Ismael Maciel de Mancilha ; Jorge Gonzalo Farias Avendano ; Júlio César dos Santos ; Lara Durães Sette ; Luís Jorge Abreu Chorão de Quelhas Duarte ; Silvio Silvério da Silva ; Solange Inês Mussatto Dragone ; Talita Martins Lacerda ; Tatiane da Franca Silva ; Valker Araujo Feitosa

Abstract

The contribution of scientific research to achieving the urgent global energy transition is unquestionable and inseparable from that which seeks to expand the portfolio of products with converging technologies in a biorefinery model for the sugar and alcohol sector in a bioeconomy context. Within this premise, the objective of this project is to establish a biochemical platform for the production of biomolecules from sugarcane bagasse and straw and the biodiversity of yeasts from Antarctica. The relevance of the research is supported by the contribution with innovations and/or advances in different aspects within the use of plant biomass in full of its 3 main fractions, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The vast and long studies to obtain biomolecules from sugarcane biomass largely occur with these fractions, not always together, and there are still gaps regarding the biotechnological use of their main constituent compounds, carbohydrates (C6 and C5) and non-carbohydrates (phenolics) particularly with regard to the natural toxicity of lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Furthermore, the use of microbial biodiversity of extremophilic microorganisms such as yeast isolated from samples from marine and terrestrial environments in Antarctica provides technological innovations concomitant with the exploration of new research approaches in a cohesive way, contributing to knowledge of the physiological state of these microorganisms in complex media such as lignocellulosic hydrolysates. To this end, the application of the main technique proposed in this research, flow cytometry, adds to others conventionally already studied in bioprocesses using plant biomass, which occur in 3 primary stages: deconstruction of the plant cell wall, establishment of fermentation conditions and separation/purification of the biomolecules produced. Thus, aiming to contribute to the establishment of a sugarcane biorefinery model with the particularity of raw material heterogeneity, the priority goals were outlined in the different phases of obtaining and preparing cellulosic, hemicellulosic and soluble lignin hydrolysates; selection of yeast to obtain the biomolecules xylitol, biosurfactant, carotenoids and lipids; production of biomolecules for kinetic study of the process; separation of the biomolecules produced; biomolecule applicability tests; assessment of technical and economic viability. The investigation with yeasts from the Central Biobank of Microbial Resources at UNESP-Rio Claro is in line with the use of yeasts from microbial biobanks due to their relevance in bioeconomy and sustainable development, which, added to the collaboration network of specialist researchers in the different areas of knowledge involved in this research, is a strong indicator for the contribution of this platform model as a guideline for other plant biomasses and biomolecules. The investigation of microbiological material (yeasts of Antarctic origin) and associated data from the Central Biobank of Microbial Resources at UNESP-Rio Claro (CRM-UNESP) aligns with the conception of microbial biobanks as a basic structure for sustainable development and the bioeconomy, which together with this network of researchers specialized in different areas of knowledge, it constitutes a strong indicator for the contribution of this platform model as a guideline for other plant biomasses and biomolecules. (AU)