Congratulations Anna Joelle Ruff and Kevin Herrmann on their recent publication

09/03/2023
 

Biotechnological production of food-grade polyphosphate from deoiled seeds and bran

The authors present the first biotechnological route for the production of food-grade, organic polyphosphate (polyP) from deoiled seeds or bran, included in a vision for a circular phosphorus economy. The research is a collaboration between iAMB and Institute of Biotechnology at RWTH Aachen University. Agricultural products, have a high phytate content that has a hidden potential as a renewable source of phosphate. The developed three-step production process includes phosphorus mobilization (e.g., 37 mg PO4 3-/g bran) using phytase enzymes. Non-genetically modified phosphate starved Saccharomyces cerevisiae is then fed with soluble P-extracts. The yeast intracellularly polymerizes the phosphate to polyP (≥ 30 % mol polyP in yeast per mol PO4 3- in medium) and polyP-rich yeast extract or pure polyP is purified from the biomass. Dr. Ruff and their co-authors demonstrate that the obtained polyP-rich yeast extract is an excellent green surrogate for polyP from fossil P-sources in meat manufacturing. The valorization of phytate–P while producing P-depleted biomass as a demanded feed in livestock production is shown. This sustainable process enables the production of food-grade polyP from renewable resources and is contributing to the sustainable management of the dwindling nutrient phosphorus.

Funding

This work was funded by Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Innovation, Digitalisierung und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (MKW 311-005-1706-0001) and by Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (Value-PP, 33006/01-32; PhANG, AZ 34976-01).

Reference

Herrmann, K. R., Fees, J., Christ, J. J., Hofmann, I., Block, C., Herzberg, D., Bröring, S., Reckels, B., Visscher, C., Lars, M.B. and Schwaneberg, U., Ruff, A. J. (2023). Biotechnological production of food-grade polyphosphate from deoiled seeds and bran. EFB Bioeconomy Journal, 100048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioeco.2023.100048

 
  Emerging value chains in the case of biotechnological production of PolyP. Copyright: © EFB Bioeconomy Journal Emerging value chains in the case of biotechnological production of PolyP.