This project will investigate the use of pea and bean meal as an inexpensive nitrogen source in typical commercial fermentations such antibiotic production and lactic acid production (polylactide plastics) and as a fermentation promoting ingredient in fuel and beverage ethanol fermentations. Fermentations will be performed using standard media formulations and then the conventional nitrogen source will be replaced with pea or bean meal and the effect of the substitution on the particular fermentation will be measured. These fermentations are high volume or high value and should provide a significant new market for Manitoban peas and beans. The fermentation of glucose to ethanol by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was chosen as a model fermentation due to the size of the beverage and the fuel alcohol industries. Ethanolic fermentations are performed on the scale of 100,000 to 1,000,000 liters at a time. Last year 19 billion liters of (100%) ethanol were produced by yeast fermentations as transportation fuel alone. With slim margins the cost of raw material including nitrogen is paramount. Lactic acid fermentations were chosen due to the demanding nutritional requirements of lactic acid bacteria which usually require 6 to 8 essential amino acids, vitamins, and 3 or 4 different sources of these compounds in their fermentation medium. With success in substituting pulses, pulse meal, or pulse protein extract for current nitrogen sources in these fermentations Manitoba pulses will be positioned for use in both current and new biotechnology fermentations.
