Microbial Lipid Production by Co‐Fermentation with Mortierella alpina Obtained by Ion Beam Implantation

Co‐fermentation of lignocellulose‐based carbohydrates is a potential approach to improve the economics of microbial lipid production. To obtain an industrial strain that metabolizes glucose and xylose with a higher microbial lipid production, the strain Mortierella alpina was mutated by low‐energy ion beam implantation. After nitrogen ion beam implantation, a mutant strain, M. alpina I502‐8 ( MA I502‐8), was obtained. MA I502‐8 was an efficient producer of microbial lipid from glucose and xylose (5:3 wt/wt). Moreover, the co‐fermentation conditions were also optimized. Under optimal conditions, the maximum yield of biomass and microbial lipid reached 27.4 and 10.05 g L –1 , respectively, which were 2.38‐fold and 1.84‐fold those in the initial media. Of the mixed sugar, 84.33 % was used up during co‐fermentation.