A group of six small fermentors allows researchers to grow quantities of fungi under the same conditions or to test multiple parameters simultaneously, vastly
increasing the speed of conducting fungal experiments.
Fungi (yeasts, molds and mushrooms) have gotten a bad rap over the years. They have been blamed for infecting food crops and represent some of the most universal and costly pathogens known to manóboth of which overshadow the important contributions fungi make, such as providing critical agricultural nutrients
and compounds for antibiotics.
Today, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed the technology for truly harnessing the potential of fungi in our world. Fungi, plants and animals represent the three non-bacteria phylogenetic kingdoms. Within the approximately 250,000 different species of fungi, about 75% are ascomycetes (approximately 90% of which are filamentous fungi, the remainder being yeasts) and 25% are basidiomycetes (commonly known as mushrooms). As a group, the fungi
have an enormous impact on the United States and world economies. Yeast is used extensively in the baking and brewing industries, mushrooms are consumed as food all over the world, and filamentous (hairy) fungi are used for production of foodstuff and medicines and industrial production of enzymes and chemicals. Filamentous fungi
grow as long, multi-celled
strands or filaments, and
these filaments can combine
to form larger masses like
mushrooms. They are largely
responsible for recycling
biomass in nature and are the
source for many important
organic acids, antibiotics and
other therapeutics. Biomass
is the largest renewable
energy source in the United
States and provides the only
renewable alternative for
liquid transportation fuel.
Wood is still the largest
biomass energy resource
today, but other sources, such as food
crops, residues from agriculture and
forestry and even the organic component
of municipal and industrial wastes, are
quickly gaining momentum.
By combining traditional bioprocess
research technologies with cutting-edge
technologies such as molecular genetics,
genomics and proteomics, scientists have
developed new biomass processes using
the filamentous fungi.
With state-of-the-art facilities
and equipment, the PNNL fungal
biotechnology research team applies
established methods to evaluate and
manipulate parameters to create novel
fermentation processes using filamentous
fungi to ensure that lab-developed
techniques are relevant to industrial
processes. This integrated capability
is essential for developing the novel
bioprocessing approaches necessary
for efficiently converting biomass into
industrial and energy products. Scientists
use a variety of analytical instruments
to understand the fungal system and
determine products and by-products
under different scenarios. A proteomics
workstation rapidly identifies proteins
critical to the efficient function of a given organism within a bioprocess.
Multi-vessel fermentors and capillary
electrophoresis equipment provide the
fermentation and analytical capability
critical for determining and creating the
most efficient bioprocesses.
The research being conducted by
PNNL scientists may dramatically
enhance the production of valuable
molecules and materials, having a
tremendous impact on industry,
medicine, agriculture and basic science.
Because of this potential impact, a
Fungal Biotechnology Review Board
has been formed as an opportunity
for industry to become involved in
developing technologies relevant to
their business. Members of the Fungal
Biotechnology Review Board appreciate
the access to world-class instrumentation
and leading scientists in emerging and
established scientific fields.
Together, PNNL and industry are
taming the hairy mushroomóthey are
shaping the next generation of consumer
products, medicines and biomass
energy. Through better understanding,
control and productivity, researchers
are actively expanding the use of
The Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.