Biosurfactant and organic acids biotechnological production from corn industry by-products with real-time monitoring by a machine learning model

• Grant number: 25/06563-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 14, 2025
• End date: December 13, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Silvio Silvério da Silva
• Grantee: Guilherme de Oliveira Silva
• Supervisor: Agata Olszewska-Widdrat
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/19070-3 - Sustainable utilization of steep water and crude oil derived from corn maceration for the production of biosurfactant by Yarrowia lipolytica, BP.IC

Abstract

There is a growing demand for sustainable bioproducts that has driven the development of biorefineries that utilize agro-industrial by-products as raw materials. Biosurfactants, in particular, stand out as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants due to their high biodegradability and low toxicity. Similarly, citric acid and lactic acid are valuable platform chemicals with diverse industrial applications, making them essential for the development of an ecologically sustainable future. However, large-scale production still faces challenges related to high production costs and process optimization. This project aims to evaluate the kinetic parameters of biosurfactant, citric acid and lactic acid production by Yarrowia lipolytica and Heyndrickxia coagulans in batch bioreactors, using raw corn steep water and corn oil as low-cost substrates, integrating a novel real-time monitoring framework based on machine learning models. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Bioconversion group of the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), taking advantage of its expertise in biorefinery processes and bioconversion technologies. By integrating these approaches, this research will contribute to the advancement of circular bioeconomy strategies, enabling the efficient valorization of agricultural by-products, improving bioprocess control, and fostering the development of a scalable and sustainable production system for biosurfactants and organic acids.