Project Number: 3620-41000-113-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Jun 16, 2004
End Date: Jun 15, 2009

Objective:
To acquire, stabilize, characterize, and improve new microorganisms as biocatalysts to produce large volumes of high value bioproducts from glycerol and plant lipids to facilitate biotechnological innovation and to ensure increased income for U.S. farmers and the agricultural industry.

Approach:
Develop new microbial systems to modify the chemical and physical properties of soybean oil and its fatty acids to enhance their industrial potential as additives, specialty chemicals, physiologically active substances or for major components of cosmetics, lubricants, plastics, surface coatings and detergents. Microorganisms will be selected from the ARS Culture Collection using the predictiveness derived from comparisons of DNA sequences and from isolation from soil and wastewater samples collected from biodiesel productions sites. Products will be characterized and their production enhanced through enzymatic processes or from continuous production cell bioreactor technologies. Conversion pathway engineering by physical, biochemical and molecular biology will be undertaken. The most promising microorganisms will be selected for large-scale production process development and economic evaluation.