Biosynthesis of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid by Aspergillus flavus APLS-1: Process optimization and intermediate product analysis

The aim of the present study was to develop an eco-friendly biological process for the production of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from 5-hydroxy methylfurfuraldehyde (HMF) using microorganisms. Microorganisms were isolated from the soil samples and evaluated for its biotransformation efficiency. Among the isolates, Aspergillus flavus APLS-1 was found to be potent for efficient conversion of HMF to FDCA. The bioconversion parameters were optimized by Box-Behnken design. The optimization resulted in 67% conversion efficiency where 1 g/L HMF (8 mM) was transformed to 0.83 g/L (6.6 mM) FDCA in 14 days at pH6.5 with biomass size of 5.7 g/L and biomass age 60 h. This is the first report on Aspergillus sp., capable of detoxifying HMF and produces FDCA.