EPA omega-3 production from biodiesel waste glycerol
This technology turns a waste byproduct of biodiesel manufacturing — crude glycerol — into a feedstock for growing a microorganism called Pythium, which naturally produces EPA, a valuable omega-3 fatty acid. The crude glycerol is first cleaned to remove soaps and methanol, then used as the primary food source for the Pythium culture. The result is a biomass rich in EPA-containing lipids, converting a low-value waste stream into a high-value nutritional or nutraceutical ingredient.
What you could build
A fermentation process for nutraceutical or aquaculture feed ingredient manufacturers to produce EPA from biodiesel-refinery waste glycerol, sold as a low-cost omega-3 biomass to supplement or replace fish-oil-derived EPA in dietary supplements and fish feed.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia biodiesel producers and agricultural bioprocessing companies, as well as aquaculture operations along the Chesapeake Bay region, could be natural partners or licensees.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Zhiyou Wen, Sneba Athalye
- Granted
- September 24, 2013
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 8541210
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.