Screening de microrganismos produtores de celulase e apresentação de um plano de negócios inicial para o desenvolvimento de um produto acelerador de compostagem de resíduos agroindustriais

Abstract

The increase in global demand for food, driven by population growth, has led Brazil to adopt the extensive use of mineral fertilizers, resulting in environmental impacts and risks to human health. The generation of agro-industrial waste is a problem for Brazil due to its large production, as these residues pose a risk to the environment andhuman health. Biofertilizers can be used to increase the productivity of agricultural crops, reducing the need for mineral fertilizers. Lignocellulosic residues represent a significant portion of agro-industrial waste in Brazil, and their composting process is slow due to the complexity of these compounds. Within this context, the objective of this work was to prospect cellulase-producing fungi to develop a composting accelerator consortium for agro-industrial waste, aiming to create a product. Additionally, a business plan for a product based on this consortium was developed. For this purpose, fungal isolates were cultivated in liquid culture media with wheat bran as the sole carbon source. Analyses of total cellulase activity were performed on the culture supernatants. Based on these analyses, two isolates, EIRA 2 and EIRA 6, were selected, showing cellulase activity of 0.0541 U/mL and 0.0510 U/mL, respectively. Subsequently, an in vitro antagonism assay was conducted with these two isolates, where no antagonistic activity was observed. Isolates EIRA 2 and EIRA 6 appeared as potential composting accelerators, but it is necessary to assess their potential pathogenicity to plants and humans. The business plan confirmed the importance of the product through market research, and the next step will be the development of a Minimum Viable Product.