Date of Award
Spring 5-6-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Integrative Biology
Department
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Christopher Cornelison
Second Advisor
Dr. Carl Saint-Louis
Third Advisor
Dr. Martin Hudson
Abstract
Melanin is a naturally occurring pigment, that is produced by organisms widely across the biological kingdoms. Eumelanin, the most widely recognized class of melanins, is characterized by its dark brown to black visual appearance along with possession of a plethora of documented properties such as UV resistance, antioxidant activity, and bioremediation potential. These qualities have driven growing interest in its use across different including cosmetics, medicine, and electronics. While eumelanin is traditionally sourced from the common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, this process suffers from a limited supply of cuttlefish and raises ethical concerns. As an alternative, the submerged fermentation of microorganisms is commonly used in industry for the production of various goods including antibiotics, enzymes, and organic acids. These processes are incredibly effective and, in many cases, render other methods of production obsolete. Multiple studies have reported successful biosynthesis of eumelanin from microorganisms, underscoring the potential for environmentally friendly and scalable production in this manner. This project utilizes submerged fermentations of the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus for the production of eumelanin and tests the implementation of fixed cell catalyst system to facilitate this process. Additionally, this project aims to address common problems associated with upscaling by investigating and comparing eumelanin production in benchtop shake flasks and in bioreactor controlled vessels with an increased working volume, as well as attempting to improve eumelanin yields through exploration of conditions for fungus P. ostreatus.