Patent ID: 7541173

Claim:
A method for the isolation of a butanol tolerant Lactobacillus microorganism comprising: a) providing a microbial sample comprising a microbial consortium; b) contacting the microbial consortium with a growth medium comprising a fermentable carbon source until the members of the microbial consortium are growing; c) contacting the growing microbial consortium of step (b) with butanol; and d) isolating the viable members of step (c) wherein a butanol tolerant microorganism is isolated wherein the viable members of step (d) are tolerant to at least one of the following: i) 2.5% w/v 1-butanol when grown on a solid medium at 37.degree. C.; ii) 3.9% w/v 2-butanol when grown on a solid medium at 37.degree. C.; iii) 2.7% w/v isobutanol when grown on a solid medium at 37.degree. C.; iv) 5.0% w/v 2-butanone when grown on a solid medium at 37.degree. C.; or v) 9.0% w/v ethanol I when grown on a solid medium at 37.degree. C.