Toomas Paalme

The existing solid face fermentation systems do not ensure the optimal oxygen supply, nor temperature, high microbial contamination risk is also common for those systems. The aim of current project is to develop a simple and cheap system for cultivation of fungi or mycelium equipped with oxygen and temperature control. That improves the growth rate and yield of fungal biomass. System is universal, in addition to cultivation of fungi it enables to carry out high temperature composting. We use 20 - 200 L polypropylene bags as cultivation vessels, that are equipped with process control head. This cultivation vessel enables sterilization, aseptic inoculation, aeration and cooling of growth substrate. Cultivation vessel is connected to control system for oxygen and temperature monitoring and process control at least in 4 individual cultivation vessels.

Solid state fermentations (SFF) are one of the most environmental friendly methods for food valorization. It has been used for thousands of years for production of fermented foods in the orient, using aerobic fermentation with filamentous fungi. By contrast, in Western world it has been used in anaerobic fermentations to alter the sensory properties of bread, meat and cheese. The aim of this project is to apply the SFF for production of bio control agents using side products of food production (spent brewers grains, kernels, whey) as a carrier or substrate. The biocontrol agents studied are propionic acid bacteria and filamentous fungi. The propionic acid bacteria have potential to increase the shelf life of bakery products while fungi (e.g. Chlonostachys rosea, Thrichoderma etc) are being widely used as biopesticides and biofertilizers. To optimize the SFF processes a unique solid state fermention system enabling to control the pH, T, pO2 and growth rate will be constructed.