High value chemicals from the decomposition of lignin by cultivated mushroom species
Supervisors: Dr Daniel Eastwood (Biosciences) & Darren Oatley (engineering)
Department: Biosciences
Fungi cultivated for mushroom production are also adapted to decompose lignocellulosic plant
wastes. Previous biorefinery models have focused of releasing sugars from cellulose and
hemicelluloses for biofuel production. However, greater value may be obtained from the release of
high value compounds from the breakdown of lignin, e.g. ferulic acid, vanillic acid. Lignin is a
complex macromolecule consisting of may aromatic products, it is recalcitrant and requires high
energy input to disrupt. Wood decay fungi have evolved to breakdown lignin in an efficient manner
and they are currently being grown on industrial scale to convert thousands of kilograms of plant
wastes each week into a valuable mushroom crop. The spent mushroom compost is seen as a waste
product.
This project aims to develop a process by which high value compounds can be extracted from spent
mushroom waste employing state of the art extraction methods, such as membrane technology, and
chemical analysis. This project has a strong cross-disciplinary emphasis where the extraction process
from an engineering perspective will be combined with an optimisation of growth and lignin
breakdown by the fungus.