Page 9 Monday, June 11, 2012 FarmWeek
markets
Better bugs, new chemicals key to corn profits BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek
For scientists like Michael Cotta and Hans Blaschek, it’s not a matter of getting the bugs out of the system. It’s about developing “bugs” that work harder within the system. Last week’s Corn Utilization and Technology Conference in Indianapolis focused on expanding “biorefinery” capabilities — squeezing an expanded portfolio of renewable products from every part of the corn plant. USDA’s Peoria-based National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) is working to “build on the capacity we’ve built in the fuels area,” by developing value-added “biobased” chemicals, Cotta, NCAUR Fermentation Biotechnology Research Unit leader, told FarmWeek. Cotta sees continued industry momentum toward bio-based replacement of petroleum products, with USDA “leading the charge.” However, NCAUR is focused on research that points the way to product development, rather than merely “taking the lead from industry,” he said. Much of that research centers on identifying and, in some cases, tweaking microorganisms that can interact with starches or
sugars to create both biofuels and commercially valuable industrial compounds. “In addition to enhancing things on the fuel side, we’re trying to see if we can take some of these approaches and expand them into making other products, as well,” Cotta said. “Rather than just making one product, can we spin off other co-products? Can we get some of the organisms we’ve developed for fuel production to make other things?” NCAUR’s Renewable Product Technology Research Unit geneticist Timothy Leathers sees growing promise in petroleum replacement products, but notes they often are not cost-competitive and have limited uses. He argues creative technology is vital to developing organisms that generate more and cheaper materials. A striking example is Aureobasidium pullans, a yeastlike fungus used to produce Pullulan — a polymer used in edible films found in various breath freshener/oral hygiene products. Genetic study of Aureobasidium has identified strains that can produce large quantities of polymalic acid or PMA, a “biopolyester” used in pharmaceutical applications. Other strains produce socalled “heavy oils” that are com-
Livestock industry primed for joint co-product use? Extensive dietary and consumer research, capped with a free steak dinner, suggests promising joint market opportunities for ethanol and biodiesel producers. In an effort funded by corn and soybean growers, University of Minnesota animal scientists weighed the merits of blending ethanol-derived distillers dried grains (DDGs) and glycerine, a co-product of soy biodiesel production, in beef cattle finishing diets. The new ration appears to offer cattlemen solid nutrition and potential cost control amid high corn prices while providing “a good quality, consistent beef product,” U of M graduate research assistant Kaitlyn McClelland reported. “It gives us some more options in replacing corn and giving our cattle producers some more economical options for diet replacement,” McClelland told FarmWeek at last week’s Corn Utilization and Technology Conference. “We found that adding (glycerine) gave us no difference in a lot of our meat-quality parameters, such as color, rancidity, or sensory or flavor attributes. It can give us the same beef that consumers are used to and a nice, consistent product.” While glycerine is used in a wide variety of pharmaceutical, personal care, and other chemical applications, glycerine stocks are rapidly ramping up as the biodiesel sector boosts production capacity nationwide. U of M plans more extensive research into glycerine use in livestock, including economic analysis, but McClelland cites existing studies indicating potential in swine as well as in cattle feeding. In tests comparing pure steam-flaked corn, a 40 percent modified DDGs/corn ration, a 10 percent glycerine/corn blend, and a 40 percent DDGs/10 percent glycerine ration, the DDG/glycerine blend showed little to no difference in terms of carcass data or meat moisture loss or fat profile. Researchers recruited consumers to gauge flavor, texture, tenderness, juiciness, and other attributes in strip steaks produced using various diets. Diners offered high marks in all areas. “We also asked consumers to look at the color of uncooked steaks in the package, just like they would at the grocery store,” McClelland related. — Martin Ross
mercially promising and highly “bio-active.” “Different oils (produced by various strains) appear to have different anti-cancer qualities,” Leathers explained. “We’re currently working to optimize conditions for heavy oil production and recovery for further testing.” Another fungus, Schizophyllum commune, produces Schizophyllan, a compound that aids in drug delivery and makes durable films used to protect foods. Recent studies indicate Schizophyllan also can be produced from distillers dried
grains or corn fiber as well as from starch-based corn glucose, potentially maximizing per-bushel profitability. Meanwhile, a genetic mutation could hasten progress in commercialization of butanol — a prospective corn-based “advanced” biofuel that could be dropped directly into vehicles without first being blended with gasoline. Blaschek, director of the University of Illinois Center for Advanced Bioenergy Research, reported the hardy bacterium Clostridium beijerinckii has continually evolved to pro-
duce butanol from multiple sugars at the same time. One mutant strain has proven to be a “hyper-butanol producing” machine, and researchers are using a genetic “toolkit” to further modify the microbe for tailored chemical production. “Butanol inherently is a more valuable chemical,” Blaschek stressed. “There are a lot of folks who have focused on using it as a (fuel) octane enhancer, but when you look at the chemical market, you can get three times higher value for butanol, and you don’t have to deal with fuel regulations.”
Fiber from field healthy market potential? Want to get your daily fiber without bloating but with beneficial farmer side effects? Mark Cisneros may have the prescription. His Indiana-based company, Nutrabiotix, hopes to commercialize “high-tech fibers” that address digestive disease problems. Nutrabiotix’s initial corn starch-derived product is a “prebiotic” — according to Cisneros, “food for the good bacteria” that aid in gastrointestinal health. During last week’s Corn Utilization and Technology Conference in Indiana, Cisneros argued “we’re trying to change the value proposition of starch.” He envisions a variety of product offerings, from functional foods with built-in fiber and dietary supplements to targeted “medical foods” and pharmaceuticals used to treat specific conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. “The functional foods and dietary supplements are ready for commercialization,” Cisneros told FarmWeek. “Medical foods
and therapeutic uses are further down the pipeline in our development — there are quite a few regulatory requirements there. “We’re working on those particular approvals, and they’re not very onerous at this point. Putting together pilot market runs is where we’re putting our focus right now. The feedstocks we’re using — corn starch and algae — are used in the food industry currently, so we don’t anticipate any deleterious side effects.” Nutrabiotix’s prebiotic technology, which “entraps” fiber in algae-based “micro-beads” for graduated release, is the result of joint research efforts by Purdue University (the company is located in Purdue Research Park) and Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center. Nutrabiotix now is seeking commercial partners who would source raw materials from growers or corn processors. In addition to an initial granular product, the company hopes eventually to develop a liquid soluble fiber product that could significantly boost a
patient’s dose and, potentially “heal their colon.” In human trials, the Nutrabiotix product displayed a high “non-bloating performance” relative to other dietary fibers that cause heavy initial fermentation in the gut and patient discomfort, Cisneros said. In addition, because of its encapsulated formula, the Nutrabiotix fiber works more effectively than other products in the lower colon. Where existing products spur positive development in one of three groups of beneficial bacteria, the corn starch-based fiber reportedly promotes growth in two classes of organisms. And the new product generates two to three times more butyrate — a substance that fights inflammation and helps create a selective barrier in the colon, Cisneros said. “You want to have the nutrients come into your body and keep the toxins out,” he noted. “That’s what we believe our product is doing.” — Martin Ross
Oils made to order Solazyme sees itself as “a 21st century oil company.” But don’t look for pumps or derricks around the home office. “We turn sugars into oil,” The company’s vice president Walter Rakitsky declared. “Our technology is a bridge between what the corn plant likes to make and what we crave. Starch and corn are fantastic feedstocks for us moving forward.” Solazyme’s oils are no ordinary oils: By using specially tailored microalgae, the California firm can imitate the best qualities of a variety of existing food and industrial oils while eliminating the worst. Picture an imitation palm oil or lard with a healthier olive oil fat profile. Rakitsky argues his company’s approach is far less time-consuming and costly than breeding new oilseed traits, requiring merely “months of development time, vs. years.” And the technology is flexible. Rakitsky sees oil potential in sugar cane, corn, corn stover, and miscanthus, and Solazyme recently purchased a Peoria facility with plans for a demonstration run of its specialized triglyceride oils. Microalgae feed on sugar syrups derived from processed starch, then convert carbohy-
drates into oils. “What we want to do is get these things really fat and full of oil, and, at the end of fermentation, get the oil out,” Rakitsky said. By genetically modifying “corn-fed algae,” Solazyme is able to modify harvested oils for baking, frying, food use, and industrial applications that often tap petroleum sources. Generally, Rakitsky said, “the oil component of food is the weak spot,” and his company is focusing on improving oil processing traits, extending stability and shelf life, and reducing off-flavors. A key goal is development of healthy oils with an improved melting profile — oils “that disappear in your mouth very quickly” without a waxy aftertaste. As with a growing number of value-added, ag-based enterprises (see accompanying story), energy has proven an important element in Solazyme’s development. “We’ve made over a million liters of oil (more than a quarter million gallons) over the last year or two,” Rakitsky said. “Most of that oil has been converted into fuel and used by the Navy.” — Martin Ross