Microorganisms bioprospecting from residual orange biomass and its application as a substrate in obtaining biosurfactants

• Grant number: 20/06431-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2020
• End date: November 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Iolanda Cristina Silveira Duarte
• Grantee: Fernanda de Paula
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Humanas e Biológicas (CCHB). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Biosurfactants are molecules of microbial origin that can have surfactant and emulsifying properties. Biosurfactants can be produced through fermentation from different carbon sources, and the use of renewable and low-cost sources, such as agro-industrial waste, has great value. In this regard, as Brazil is one of the largest orange producers in the world, the present study aims to promote the bioprospecting of bacteria producing biosurfactants from the orange bagasse and also use it as a carbon source in fermentation. The orange residues will be chemically characterized and self-fermented in Luria Bertani (LB) broth enriched with glycerol in order to isolate microorganisms that produce biosurfactants. The microbial consortium obtained will be characterized by the sequencing of the 16S gene and then the isolates will be evaluated for the production of biosurfactant through activity and emulsion index. The isolates that present the best results for the production of biosurfactant will be identified from the sequencing of the ribosomal RNA gene and subjected to the production of biosurfactant using orange pomace as a carbon source. Then, the biosurfactants will be extracted from the best conditions and evaluated for their critical micellar concentration.