| abstract |
A method of producing fatty acids, by: (i) inoculating in a first bio-reactor a mixture of at least one of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin with a microorganism strain that produces one or more cellulases, hemicellulases, and/or laccases that hydrolyze at least one of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and culturing the mixture to produce at least one fermentation product, for example one or more alcohols, in the mixture; (ii) optionally removing a portion of the at least one fermentation product from the mixture; (iii) transferring the remaining portion of the mixture into a second bio-reactor; and (iv) inoculating the portion of the mixture in the second bio-reactor with an algae strain that is capable of metabolizing the at least one fermentation product and any of the remaining soluble sugars, and culturing the mixture under conditions so that the at least one algae strain produces one or more fatty acids. |