Optimal design and experimental validation of a three-zone simulated moving bed process based on the Amberchrom-CG161C adsorbent for continuous removal of acetic acid from biomass hydrolyzate

In the production process of bio-ethanol from biomass, acetic acid is recognized as the key impurity to be removed from the sugar components that are generated by hydrolyzing biomass. In regard to this issue, it has recently been confirmed that the Amberchrom-CG161C resin was highly qualified as the adsorbent of a simulated moving bed (SMB) process for continuous separation of acetic acid from the biomass hydrolyzate, i.e., sugars. However, the previous study on the Amberchrom-CG161C SMB with the aforementioned separation goal has been limited to only a theoretical work, including some batch-chromatography tests. The experimental validation of such an Amberchrom-CG161C SMB process, including its optimal design, was attempted in this article. This task began by assembling the experimental unit of the SMB process with three zones. Its operating conditions were then optimized by using genetic algorithm. Under the optimized operating conditions, the relevant three-zone SMB experiment was conducted. The assay of all the resultant product samples verified that the SMB separation of interest was performed successfully as designed. The experimental data were also found to agree closely with the model predictions. Finally, a partial-discard strategy was applied to maintain the sugar product concentration as high as possible.     

Development of a three-zone simulated moving bed process based on partial-discard strategy for continuous separation of valine from isoleucine with high purity,high yield,and high product concentration

The issue of separating valine from isoleucine has been a major concern in the biotechnological process for production of valine. To address this issue, an optimal three-zone simulated moving bed (SMB) process for continuous separation of valine was developed in this study. It was first found that an Amberchrom-CG161C resin was highly suitable for the adsorbent of such SMB process. The adsorption isotherm and mass-transfer parameters of valine and isoleucine on the Amberchrom-CG161C adsorbent were then determined through multiple frontal experiments. The determined parameters were used in the next stage of optimizing the SMB for valine separation, which was performed on the basis of genetic algorithm. For the optimized SMB process, a partial-discard strategy was applied to the raffinate port in order to make a further improvement in the valine product concentration. Finally, the optimized SMB based on the partial-discard strategy was tested experimentally using the self-assembled SMB equipment. The experimental results showed that the developed process in this study was highly effective in continuous separation of valine from isoleucine while ensuring the attainment of high product concentration. The experimental data for the SMB effluent histories and the SMB column profiles were also in close agreement with the model predictions.     

Continuous separation of succinic acid and lactic acid by using a three-zone simulated moving bed process packed with Amberchrom-CG300C

The issue of separating succinic acid and lactic acid in a continuous mode has been a major concern in the biotechnological process for production of succinic acid. To address this issue, both the optimal design and the experimental validation of a three-zone simulated moving bed (SMB) process for such separation were attempted in this article using the Amberchrom-CG300C resin and a self-assembled SMB unit with three zones. First, the intrinsic parameters of the two organic acids on the Amberchrom-CG300 resin were estimated at 40 °C from a series of multiple frontal experiments. The resulting intrinsic parameters were then used in optimizing the experimental setting points for pump flow rates and switching time of the three-zone SMB equipment, which was assisted by an up-to-date genetic algorithm. Based on the optimized conditions, the relevant SMB experiment was conducted at 40 °C and all the resultant samples from the product ports and column outlets of the SMB unit were assayed. It was confirmed from the assay results that the continuous separation of succinic acid and lactic acid was performed successfully. The experimental data for the product concentration profiles and the internal concentration profiles were also in reasonable agreement with the model predictions.     

Separation of lactic acid from acetic acid using a four-zone SMB

A simulated moving bed (SMB) process has been developed to separate l-(+)-lactic acid from acetic acid, a major impurity in the fermentation broth of Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Poly(4-vinylpyridine) resin (PVP) was selected as the adsorbent. Adsorption isotherms and mass transfer parameters of the organic acids were estimated from single-column frontal tests. Experimental results show that the Langmuir isotherms obtained from the frontal tests can be used in the design of an SMB process to achieve 99.9% purity and over 93% yield of lactic acid. The column profiles and effluent histories, however, deviate from rate model predictions based on the Langmuir isotherms. They agree more closely with the predictions based on a modified Langmuir isotherm for lactic acid. The standing wave design method for systems with modified Langmuir isotherms is developed in this study. Rate model simulations show that the process based on the modified design method can achieve high purity (>99.9%) and high yield (>99.9%). For this nonlinear system, accurate isotherm model and model parameters are needed in the design, and the zone flow rates must be closely monitored and controlled in order to ensure high purity and high yield in the SMB process.     

Butanol production from sweet sorghum bagasse with high solids content: Part I—comparison of liquid hot water pretreatment with dilute sulfuric acid

In these studies, we pretreated sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) using liquid hot water (LHW) or dilute H₂SO₄ (2 g L^?1) at 190°C for zero min (as soon as temperature reached 190°C, cooling was started) to reduce generation of sugar degradation fermentation inhibiting products such as furfural and hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF). The solids loading were 250–300 g L^?1. This was followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. After hydrolysis, 89.0 g L^?1 sugars, 7.60 g L^?1 acetic acid, 0.33 g L^?1 furfural, and 0.07 g L^?1 HMF were released. This pretreatment and hydrolysis resulted in the release of 57.9% sugars. This was followed by second hydrolysis of the fibrous biomass which resulted in the release of 43.64 g L^?1 additional sugars, 2.40 g L^?1 acetic acid, zero g L^?1 furfural, and zero g L^?1 HMF. In both the hydrolyzates, 86.3% sugars present in SSB were released. Fermentation of the hydrolyzate I resulted in poor acetone‐butanol‐ethanol (ABE) fermentation. However, fermentation of the hydrolyzate II was successful and produced 13.43 g L^?1 ABE of which butanol was the main product. Use of 2 g L^?1 H₂SO₄ as a pretreatment medium followed by enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in the release of 100.6–93.8% (w/w) sugars from 250 to 300 g L^?1 SSB, respectively. LHW or dilute H₂SO₄ were used to economize production of cellulosic sugars from SSB. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:960–966, 2018     

Fermentation of lignocellulosic sugars to acetic acid by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Moorella thermoacetica</Emphasis>

A systematic study of bioconversion of lignocellulosic sugars to acetic acid by Moorella thermoacetica (strain ATCC 39073) was conducted. Four different water-soluble fractions (hydrolysates) obtained after steam pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass were selected and fermented to acetic acid in batch fermentations. M. thermoacetica can effectively ferment xylose and glucose in hydrolysates from wheat straw, forest residues, switchgrass, and sugarcane straw to acetic acid. Xylose and glucose were completely utilized, with xylose being consumed first. M. thermoacetica consumed up to 62 % of arabinose, 49 % galactose and 66 % of mannose within 72 h of fermentation in the mixture of lignocellulosic sugars. The highest acetic acid yield was obtained from sugarcane straw hydrolysate, with 71 % of theoretical yield based on total sugars (17 g/L acetic acid from 24 g/L total sugars). The lowest acetic acid yield was observed in forest residues hydrolysate, with 39 % of theoretical yield based on total sugars (18 g/L acetic acid from 49 g/L total sugars). Process derived compounds from steam explosion pretreatment, including 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (0.4 g/L), furfural (0.1 g/L) and total phenolics (3 g/L), did not inhibit microbial growth and acetic acid production yield. This research identified two major factors that adversely affected acetic acid yield in all hydrolysates, especially in forest residues: (i) glucose to xylose ratio and (ii) incomplete consumption of arabinose, galactose and mannose. For efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic sugars to acetic acid, it is imperative to have an appropriate balance of sugars in a hydrolysate. Hence, the choice of lignocellulosic biomass and steam pretreatment design are fundamental steps for the industrial application of this process.     

Production of ethanol from corn stover hemicellulose hydrolyzate using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia stipitis</Emphasis>

Hemicellulose liquid hydrolyzate from dilute acid pretreated corn stover was fermented to ethanol using Pichia stipitis CBS 6054. The fermentation rate increased with aeration but the pH also increased due to consumption of acetic acid by Pichia stipitis. Hemicellulose hydrolyzate containing 34 g/L xylose, 8 g/L glucose, 8 g/L Acetic acid, 0.73 g/L furfural, and 1 g/L hydroxymethyl furfural was fermented to 15 g/L ethanol in 72 h. The yield in all the hemicellulose hydrolyzates was 0.37–0.44 g ethanol/g (glucose + xylose). Nondetoxified hemicellulose hydrolyzate from dilute acid pretreated corn stover was fermented to ethanol with high yields, and this has the potential to improve the economics of the biomass to ethanol process.     

Use of dynamic step response for control of fed-batch conversion of lignocellulosic hydrolyzates to ethanol

Optimization of fed-batch conversion of lignocellulosic hydrolyzates by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied. The feed rate was controlled using a step response strategy, in which the carbon dioxide evolution rate was used as input variable. The performance of the control strategy was examined using both an untreated and a detoxified dilute acid hydrolyzate, and the performance was compared to that obtained with a synthetic medium. In batch cultivation of the untreated hydrolyzate, only 23% of the hexose sugars were assimilated. However, by using the feed-back controlled fed-batch technique, it was possible to obtain complete conversion of the hexose sugars. Furthermore, the maximal specific ethanol productivity (q(E,max)) increased more than 10-fold, from 0.06 to 0.70 g g(-1) h(-1). In addition, the viability of the yeast cells decreased by more than 99% in batch cultivation, whereas a viability of more than 40% could be maintained during fed-batch cultivation. In contrast to untreated hydrolyzate, it was possible to convert the sugars in the detoxified hydrolyzate also in batch cultivation. However, a 50% higher specific ethanol productivity was obtained using fed-batch cultivation. During batch cultivation of both untreated and detoxified hydrolyzate a gradual decrease in specific ethanol productivity was observed. This decrease could largely be avoided in fed-batch cultivations.     

Removal of acetic acid and sulfuric acid from biomass hydrolyzate using a lime addition–capacitive deionization (CDI) hybrid process

In this study, we developed a lime addition–capacitive deionization (CDI) hybrid process that can efficiently remove acetic acid and sulfuric acid from the model mixture of glucose, xylose, acetic acid, and sulfuric acid, which are the major components from the biomass hydrolyzate by acid hydrolysis. The key parameters of lime addition process (type of lime, amount of lime, stirrer speed, and reaction time) and CDI process (voltage, flow rate, and feed concentration) were also optimized. In the lime addition process, the optimal lime type, (sulfuric acid + acetic acid)/lime molar ratio, stirrer speed, and reaction time for the removal of sulfuric acid were CaCO₃, 1:1, 200 rpm, and 6 min, respectively. For the CDI process, the optimal voltage and flow rate were 1.2 V and 20 mL/min, respectively. The efficiency of acid removal increased as the initial acetic acid concentration decreased. This hybrid process was able to remove 98.08% of sulfuric acid and 76.97% of acetic acid from the mixture of glucose, xylose, acetic acid, and sulfuric acid. The process was able to recover almost all sugar (>99%) at high purity (97.53%).     

Engineering biocatalysts for production of commodity chemicals

Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive alternate to petroleum for production of both fuels and commodity chemicals. This conversion of biomass would require a new generation of microbial biocatalysts that can convert all the sugars present in the biomass to the desired compounds. In this review, the critical factors that need to be considered in engineering such microbial biocatalysts for cost-effective fermentation of sugars are discussed with specific emphasis on commodity chemicals such as lactic acid, succinic acid and acetic acid.     

Presence of proline has a protective effect on weak acid stressed Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Fermentation of sugars released from lignocellulosic biomass (LCMs) is a sustainable option for the production of bioethanol. LCMs release fermentable hexose sugars and the currently non-fermentable pentose sugars; ethanol yield from lignocellulosic residues is dependent on the efficient conversion of available sugars to ethanol, a side-product of the process is acetic acid production. Presence of acetic acid reduced metabolic output and growth when compared with controls; however, it was observed that incubation with proline had a protective effect, which was proline specific and concentration dependent; the protective effect did not extend to furan or phenolic stressed yeast cells. Proline accumulating strains displayed tolerance to acetic acid when compared with background strains, whereas, strains with a compromised proline metabolism displayed sensitivity. Sensitivity to weak acids appears to be reduced with the addition of proline; proline is an imino acid freely available as a nitrogen source in the aerobic phase of fermentations. Yeast strains with higher intracellular proline concentrations would be desirable for industrial bioethanol fermentations.     

Detoxification requirements for bioconversion of softwood dilute acid hydrolyzates to succinic acid

In this work an Escherichia coli metabolically engineered to ferment lignocellulosic biomass sugars to succinic acid was tested for growth and fermentation of detoxified softwood dilute sulfuric acid hydrolyzates, and the minimum detoxification requirements were investigated with activated carbon and/or overliming treatments. Detoxified hydrolyzates supported fast growth and complete fermentation of all hydrolyzate sugars to succinate at yields comparable to pure sugar, while untreated hydrolyzates were unable to support either growth or fermentation. Activated carbon treatment was able to remove significantly more HMF and phenolics than overliming. However, in some cases, overliming treatment was capable of generating a fermentable hydrolyzate where activated carbon treatment was not. The implications of this are that in addition to the known organic inhibitors, the changes in the inorganic content and/or composition due to overliming are significant to the hydrolyzate toxicity. It was also found that any HMF remaining after detoxification was completely metabolized during aerobic cell growth on the hydrolyzates that were capable of supporting growth.     

High solid fed‐batch butanol fermentation with simultaneous product recovery: Part II—process integration

In these studies, liquid hot water (LHW) pretreated and enzymatically hydrolyzed Sweet Sorghum Bagasse (SSB) hydrolyzates were fermented in a fed‐batch reactor. As reported in the preceding paper, the culture was not able to ferment the hydrolyzate I in a batch process due to presence of high level of toxic chemicals, in particular acetic acid released from SSB during the hydrolytic process. To be able to ferment the hydrolyzate I obtained from 250 g L^?1 SSB hydrolysis, a fed‐batch reactor with in situ butanol recovery was devised. The process was started with the hydrolyzate II and when good cell growth and vigorous fermentation were observed, the hydrolyzate I was slowly fed to the reactor. In this manner the culture was able to ferment all the sugars present in both the hydrolyzates to acetone butanol ethanol (ABE). In a control batch reactor in which ABE was produced from glucose, ABE productivity and yield of 0.42 g L^?1 h^?1 and 0.36 were obtained, respectively. In the fed‐batch reactor fed with SSB hydrolyzates, these productivity and yield values were 0.44 g L^?1 h^?1 and 0.45, respectively. ABE yield in the integrated system was high due to utilization of acetic acid to convert to ABE. In summary we were able to utilize both the hydrolyzates obtained from LHW pretreated and enzymatically hydrolyzed SSB (250 g L^?1) and convert them to ABE. Complete fermentation was possible due to simultaneous recovery of ABE by vacuum. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:967–972, 2018     

Adsorptive removal of fermentation inhibitors from concentrated acid hydrolyzates of lignocellulosic biomass

Adsorptive purification of concentrated acid hydrolyzate of lignocellulose was investigated. Cation exchange resin (CS16GC), neutral polymer adsorbent (XAD-16), and granulated activated carbon (GAC) were studied to remove furfural, HMF, and acetic acid from a synthetic hydrolyzate containing 20 wt.% H₂SO₄. Adsorption isotherms were determined experimentally. Loading and regeneration were investigated in a laboratory scale column.GAC has the highest adsorption capacity, but regeneration with water was not feasible. XAD-16 and CS16GC had lower adsorption capacities but also shorter cycle times due to easier regeneration. Productivity increased when regenerating with 50 wt.% EtOH(aq) solution.To compare adsorbents, process performance was quantified by productivity and fraction of inhibitors removed. GAC yields highest performance when high purity is required and ethanol can be used in regeneration. For lower purities, XAD-16 and GAC yield approximately equal performance. When using ethanol must be avoided, CS16GC offers highest productivity.     

Ethanol production from hexoses, pentoses, and dilute-acid hydrolyzate by Mucor indicus

Consumption of hexoses and pentoses and production of ethanol by Mucor indicus were investigated in both synthetic media and dilute-acid hydrolyzates. The fungus was able to grow in a poor medium containing only carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and magnesium sources. However, the cultivation took more than a week and the ethanol yield was only 0.2 gg(-1). Enrichment of the medium by addition of trace metals, particularly zinc and yeast extract, improved the growth rate and yield, such that the cultivation was completed in less than 24 h and the ethanol and biomass yields were increased to 0.40 and 0.20 gg(-1), respectively. The fungus was able to assimilate glucose, galactose, mannose, and xylose, and produced ethanol with yields of 0.40, 0.34, 0.39, and 0.18 gg(-1), respectively. However, arabinose was poorly consumed and no formation of ethanol was detected. Glycerol was the major by-product in the cultivation on the hexoses, while formation of glycerol and xylitol were detected in the cultivation of the fungus on xylose. The fungus was able to take up the sugars present in dilute-acid hydrolyzate as well as the inhibitors, acetic acid, furfural, and hydroxymethyl furfural. M. indicus was able to grow under anaerobic conditions when glucose was the sole carbon source, but not on xylose or the hydrolyzate. The yield of ethanol in anaerobic cultivation on glucose was 0.46 g g(-1).     

Gas chromatography of neutral and amino sugars in glycoproteins

A gas chromatographic method for determining the neutral and amino sugars commonly found in glycoproteins of animal origin is described. Following mild acid hydrolysis, the solution is neutralized with Dowex 1 HCO₃⁻, and the sugars are reduced to alditols in the cold with sodium borohydride. The solution is lyophilized, and the alditols are acetylated with acetic anhydride in pyridine. Monosaccharides can be determined on as little as 1 mg of a glycoprotein which contains 6% total carbohydrate.     

Identification of guanosine diphosphate derivatives of d-xylose, d-glucose and d-galactose in mature strawberry leaves

The nucleotides from a trichloroacetic acid extract of mature strawberry leaves were separated into ten main fractions by chromatography on a Dowex 1 (formate form) column with ammonium formate as the eluting agent. One of these fractions, which was suspected to contain not only ADP but also GDP-sugars, was separated into a number of subfractions by further chromatography on a Dowex 1 (formate form) column with the formic acid system as the eluting agent. One of these subfractions was identified from its ultraviolet spectra, from its position on the two ion-exchange columns and by thin-layer chromatography as a GDP-sugar. Mild acid hydrolysis gave GDP and a mixture of sugars. The sugars, after a preliminary separation on a paper chromatogram, were identified by an isotope-dilution method. The sugars were condensed with sodium [(14)C]cyanide, the [(14)C]nitriles were hydrolysed and one of the epimeric acids was isolated, either as lactone or amide, by co-crystallization with a non-radioactive carrier. This method distinguishes between enantiomorphic sugars. d-Mannose, d-xylose, d-glucose and d-galactose were present in the proportions 40:10:1:1 respectively. The total amount of the GDP-sugars was approx. 0.1mumole/100g. of fresh leaves.     

Optimization of acid hydrolysis from the hemicellulosic fraction of Eucalyptus grandis residue using response surface methodology

Biotechnological conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals requires hydrolysis of the polysaccharide fraction into monomeric sugars. Hydrolysis can be performed enzymatically and with dilute or concentrate mineral acids. The present study used dilute sulfuric acid as a catalyst for hydrolysis of Eucalyptus grandis residue. The purpose of this paper was to optimize the hydrolysis process in a 1.4 l pilot-scale reactor and investigate the effects of the acid concentration, temperature and residue/acid solution ratio on the hemicellulose removal and consequently on the production of sugars (xylose, glucose and arabinose) as well as on the formation of by-products (furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and acetic acid). This study was based on a model composition corresponding to a 2(3) orthogonal factorial design and employed the response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the hydrolysis conditions, aiming to attain maximum xylose extraction from hemicellulose of residue. The considered optimum conditions were: H(2)SO(4) concentration of 0.65%, temperature of 157 degrees C and residue/acid solution ratio of 1/8.6 with a reaction time of 20 min. Under these conditions, 79.6% of the total xylose was removed and the hydrolysate contained 1.65 g/l glucose, 13.65 g/l xylose, 1.55 g/l arabinose, 3.10 g/l acetic acid, 1.23 g/l furfural and 0.20 g/l 5-hydroxymethylfurfural.     

A sustainable woody biomass biorefinery

Woody biomass is renewable only if sustainable production is imposed. An optimum and sustainable biomass stand production rate is found to be one with the incremental growth rate at harvest equal to the average overall growth rate. Utilization of woody biomass leads to a sustainable economy. Woody biomass is comprised of at least four components: extractives, hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose. While extractives and hemicellulose are least resistant to chemical and thermal degradation, cellulose is most resistant to chemical, thermal, and biological attack. The difference or heterogeneity in reactivity leads to the recalcitrance of woody biomass at conversion. A selection of processes is presented together as a biorefinery based on incremental sequential deconstruction, fractionation/conversion of woody biomass to achieve efficient separation of major components. A preference is given to a biorefinery absent of pretreatment and detoxification process that produce waste byproducts. While numerous biorefinery approaches are known, a focused review on the integrated studies of water-based biorefinery processes is presented. Hot-water extraction is the first process step to extract value from woody biomass while improving the quality of the remaining solid material. This first step removes extractives and hemicellulose fractions from woody biomass. While extractives and hemicellulose are largely removed in the extraction liquor, cellulose and lignin largely remain in the residual woody structure. Xylo-oligomers, aromatics and acetic acid in the hardwood extract are the major components having the greatest potential value for development. Higher temperature and longer residence time lead to higher mass removal. While high temperature (>200°C) can lead to nearly total dissolution, the amount of sugars present in the extraction liquor decreases rapidly with temperature. Dilute acid hydrolysis of concentrated wood extracts renders the wood extract with monomeric sugars. At higher acid concentration and higher temperature the hydrolysis produced more xylose monomers in a comparatively shorter period of reaction time. Xylose is the most abundant monomeric sugar in the hydrolysate. The other comparatively small amounts of monomeric sugars include arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, mannose and galactose. Acetic acid, formic acid, furfural, HMF and other byproducts are inevitably generated during the acid hydrolysis process. Short reaction time is preferred for the hydrolysis of hot-water wood extracts. Acid hydrolysis presents a perfect opportunity for the removal or separation of aromatic materials from the wood extract/hydrolysate. The hot-water wood extract hydrolysate, after solid-removal, can be purified by Nano-membrane filtration to yield a fermentable sugar stream. Fermentation products such as ethanol can be produced from the sugar stream without a detoxification step.     

Production of carboxylic acids from hydrolyzed corn meal by immobilized cell fermentation in a fibrous-bed bioreactor

Corn meal hydrolyzed with amylases was used as the carbon source for producing acetic, propionic, and butyric acids via anaerobic fermentations. In this study, corn meal, containing 75% (w/w) starch, 20% (w/w) fibers, and 1.5% (w/w) protein, was first hydrolyzed using amylases at 60 degrees C. The hydrolysis yielded approximately 100% recovery of starch converted to glucose and 17.9% recovery of protein. The resulting corn meal hydrolyzate was then used, after sterilization, for fermentation studies. A co-culture of Lactococcus lactis and Clostridium formicoaceticum was used to produce acetic acid from glucose. Propionibacterium acidipropionici was used for propionic acid fermentation, and Clostridium tyrobutylicum was used for butyric acid production. These cells were immobilized on a spirally wound fibrous matrix packed in a fibrous-bed bioreactor (FBB) developed for multi-phase biological reactions or fermentation. The bioreactor was connected to a stirred-tank fermentor that provided pH and temperature controls via medium circulation. The fermentation system was operated at the recycle batch mode. Temperature and pH were controlled at 37 degrees C and 7.6, respectively, for acetic acid fermentation, 32 degrees C and 6.0, respectively, for propionic acid fermentation, and 37 degrees C and 6.0, respectively, for butyric acid production. The fermentation demonstrated a yield of approximately 100% and a volumetric productivity of approximately 1 g/(1 h) for acetic acid production. The propionic acid fermentation achieved an approximately 60% yield and a productivity of 2.12 g/(1 h), whereas the butyric acid fermentation obtained an approximately 50% yield and a productivity of 6.78 g/(1 h). These results were comparable to, or better than those fermentations using chemically defined media containing glucose as the substrate, suggesting that these carboxylic acids can be efficiently produced from direct fermentation of corn meal hydrolyzate. The corn fiber present as suspended solids in the corn meal hydrolyzate did not cause operating problem to the immobilized cell bioreactor as is usually encountered by conventional immobilized cell bioreactor systems. It is concluded that the FBB technology is suitable for producing value-added biochemicals directly from agricultural residues or commodities such as corn meal.