Aromatic monomer yields from lignin depolymerization can be predicted using quantifiable lignin properties.

Livestock and fish farming are rapidly growing industries facing the simultaneous pressure of increasing production demands and limited protein required to produce feed. Bacteria that can convert low-value non-food waste streams into singe cell protein (SCP) present an intriguing route for rapid protein production. The oleaginous bacterium Rhodococcus opacus serves as a model organism for understanding microbial lipid production. SCP production has not been explored using an organism from this genus. In the present research, R. opacus strains DSM 1069 and PD630 were fed three agro-waste streams: (1) orange pulp, juice, and peel; (2) lemon pulp, juice, and peel; and (3) corn stover effluent, to determine if these low-cost substrates would be suitable for producing a value-added product, SCP for aquafarming or livestock feed. Both strains used agro-waste carbon sources as a growth substrate to produce protein-rich cell biomass suggesting that that R. opacus can be used to produce SCP using agro-wastes as low-cost substrates.

The bioconversion of second-generation cellulosic ethanol waste streams into biodiesel via oleaginous bacteria is a novel optimization strategy for biorefineries with substantial potential for rapid development. In this study, one- and two-stage alkali/alkali-peroxide pretreatment waste streams of corn stover were separately implemented as feedstocks in 96 h batch reactor fermentations with wild-type Rhodococcus opacus PD 630, R. opacus DSM 1069, and R. jostii DSM 44719^T. Here we show using ³¹P-NMR, HPAEC-PAD, and SEC analyses, that the more rigorous and chemically-efficient two-stage chemical pretreatment effluent provided higher concentrations of solubilized glucose and lower molecular weight (∼70–300 g mol⁻¹) lignin degradation products thereby enabling improved cellular density, viability, and oleaginicity in each respective strain. The most significant yields were by R. opacus PD 630, which converted 6.2% of organic content with a maximal total lipid production of 1.3 g L⁻¹ and accumulated 42.1% in oils based on cell dry weight after 48 h.

In this work, a set of softwood lignins were recovered from a Kraft black liquor using a novel pH-based fractionation process involving sequential CO₂ acidification and separation of the solvated aqueous lignin fraction. These recovered lignin fractions were characterized with respect to properties that may be responsible for their phase partitioning behavior as well as properties that may render the lignins more suitable for materials applications. Lignin fractions were recovered between a pH range of 12.8 and 9.5 with the bulk of the lignin (90%) recovered between a pH of 11.1 and 10.0. While all the fractions were found to consist primarily of lignin as validated by sample methoxyl content, the first fractions to phase separated were found to be especially enriched in aliphatic extractives and polysaccharides. From the bulk of the lignin that was recovered between a pH of 11.1 and 10.0 a number of noteworthy trends were discernible from the data. Specifically, the phenolic hydroxyl content was found to exhibit a strong negative correlation to the fractionation pH and exhibited a nearly 50% increase with recovery at decreasing pH, while the GPC-estimated molecular weights and ¹³C NMR-estimated β-O-4 content showed strong positive correlations to the pH at recovery. The aliphatic hydroxyl content exhibited minimal differences between recovery conditions. Overall, these results suggest that this fractionation approach can generate lignin fractions enriched in select physical or structural properties that may be important for their application as feedstocks for renewable chemicals or materials.