Oleaginous Fungal Cultures Can be Directly Transesterified for Biodiesel Production

Researchers from the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and the Universidad de Murcia (both in Spain) report a process for the production of biodiesel by direct transesterification of fermentation cultures of an oleaginous (oil-bearing) fungus, Mucor circinelloides . The common process for biodiesel production usually involves the following steps: (1) cultivation of the (biomass) feedstock, (2) extraction of oil from the biomass, and (3) chemical transformation of the (extracted) oil into biodiesel by a transesterification reaction. Until recently, seed oils and oleaginous algae were the more popular biodiesel feedstocks.

Lately, there is growing interest in other potential feedstocks, such as oleaginous fungi. Among the advantages of oleaginous microorganisms (over plant-based feedstocks such as Jatropha) are: (1) the oils from oleaginous microorganisms have "ideal lipid profiles" for biodiesel production, and (2) oleaginous microorganisms are more amenable to genetic manipulation for further improvement of lipid profiles. In the present study, the researchers report the "direct" production of biodiesel from submerged (fermentation) cultures of Mucor circinelloides, by direct transesterification, without the need for extracting the oil from the biomass. The elimination of an oil extraction step could translate to lower cost of production. The "analyzed properties of the M. circinelloides-derived biodiesel using three different catalysts (BF₃, H₂SO₄, and HCl) fulfilled the specifications established by the American standards and most of the European standard specifications". The full paper is published in the journal, Energy and Fuels (URL above).