Abstract: Improved processes for producing bio-based nylon precursors having reduced organic and inorganic impurities are described herein. The processes generally comprise fermenting a microorganism engineered to produce lysine in a modified culture medium having low or reduced inorganic ion content, such as by employing a culture medium having an ammonium dicarboxylate buffering system that is preferably devoid of non-essential inorganic ions, and crystallizing the lysine directly from the spent lysine fermentation supernatant by adding a sufficient amount of a dicarboxylic acid. Such strategies aim to produce lysine dicarboxylate salt crystals that are employable in a downstream bioconversion step for the production of cadaverine dicarboxylate salts having reduced organic and inorganic impurities, which improve their downstream performance, for example in polymeration reactions for polyamide synthesis.