Processing biomass

Abstract

Provided herein are methods for processing biomass materials that are disposed in one or more structures or carriers, e.g., a bag, a shell, a net, a membrane, a mesh or any combination of these. Containing the material in this manner allows it to be readily added or removed at any point and in any sequence during processing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for making a product, the system comprising: a liquid medium in a container; a microorganism capable of making the product in the container; and a structure or carrier containing a substance in the container, wherein the structure or carrier is configured to release the substance into the liquid medium. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is a cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass or a sugar. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the product is a molecule, a protein, a sugar, a fuel or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is disposed within a second structure or carrier. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the structure or carrier is made of a degradable polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism comprises a strain of  Trichoderma reesei.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the strain is a mutant of  Trichoderma reesei.    
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the strain comprises RUT-C30. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the structure or carrier is a bag. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the bag is formed of a mesh material. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the mesh material has a maximum opening size of less than 1 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the bag the made of a bioerodible polymer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , where the bioerodible polymer is selected from the group consisting of: polylactic acid, polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate-valerate, polycaprolactone, polyhydroxybutyrate-hexanoate, polybutylene succinate, polybutyrate succinate adipate, polyesteramide, polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate, mixtures thereof, and laminates thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the bag is made of a starch film. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the substance is the cellulosic or ligncellulosic biomass. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , where the recalcitrance of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass has been reduced by a treatment method selected from the group consisting of: bombardment with electrons, sonication, oxidation, pyrolysis, steam explosion, chemical treatment, mechanical treatment, freeze grinding and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the recalcitrance of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass has been reduced by exposure to an electron beam. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass is selected from the group consisting of: paper, paper products, paper waste, paper pulp, pigmented papers, loaded papers, coated papers, filled papers, magazines, printed matter, printer paper, polycoated paper, card stock, cardboard, paperboard, cotton, wood, particle board, forestry wastes, sawdust, aspen wood, wood chips, grasses, switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass, reed canary grass, grain residues, rice hulls, oat hulls, wheat chaff, barley hulls, agricultural waste, silage, canola straw, wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw, rice straw, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, corn cobs, corn stover, soybean stover, corn fiber, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair, sugar processing residues, bagasse, beet pulp, agave bagasse, algae, seaweed, manure, sewage, offal, arracacha, buckwheat, banana, barley, cassava, kudzu, oca, sago, sorghum, potato, sweet potato, taro, yams, beans, favas, lentils, peas, or mixtures of any of these. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass comprises corn cobs.