• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.590-598
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• 2011

Bacterial assimilation of $CO_2$ into stable biomolecules using electrochemical reducing power may be an effective method to reduce atmospheric $CO_2$ without fossil fuel combustion. For the enrichment of the $CO_2$-fixing bacteria using electrochemical reducing power as an energy source, a cylinder-type electrochemical bioreactor with a built-in anode compartment was developed. A graphite felt cathode modified with neutral red (NR-graphite cathode) was used as a solid electron mediator to induce bacterial cells to fix $CO_2$ using electrochemical reducing power. Bacterial $CO_2$ consumption was calculated based on the variation in the ratio of $CO_2$ to $N_2$ in the gas reservoir. $CO_2$ consumed by the bacteria grown in the electrochemical bioreactor (2,000 ml) reached a maximum of approximately 1,500 ml per week. Time-coursed variations in the bacterial community grown with the electrochemical reducing power and $CO_2$ in the mineral-based medium were analyzed via temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) of the 16S rDNA variable region. Some of the bacterial community constituents noted at the initial time disappeared completely, but some of them observed as DNA signs at the initial time were clearly enriched in the electrochemical bioreactor during 24 weeks of incubation. Finally, Alcaligenes sp. and Achromobacter sp., which are capable of autotrophically fixing $CO_2$, were enriched to major constituents of the bacterial community in the electrochemical bioreactor.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.545-551
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• 2008

When cultivated aerobically, Aspergillus niger hyphae produced extracellular glucoamylase, which catalyzes the saccharification of unliquified potato starch into glucose, but not when grown under anaerobic conditions. The $K_m\;and\;V_{max}$ of the extracellular glucoamylase were 652.3 mg/l of starch and 253.3 mg/l/min of glucose, respectively. In mixed culture of A. niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, oxygen had a negative influence on the alcohol fermentation of yeast, but activated fungal growth. Therefore, oxygen is a critical factor for ethanol production in the mixed culture, and its generation through electrolysis of water in an electrochemical bioreactor needs to be optimized for ethanol production from starch by coculture of fungal hyphae and yeast cells. By applying pulsed electric fields (PEF) into the electrochemical bioreactor, ethanol production from starch improved significantly: Ethanol produced from 50 g/l potato starch by a mixed culture of A. niger and S. cerevisiae was about 5 g/l in a conventional bioreactor, but was 9 g/l in 5 volts of PEF and about 19 g/l in 4 volts of PEF for 5 days.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.451-455
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• 2005

In this study, whole cells and a crude enzyme of Candida peltata were applied to an electrochemical bioreactor, in order to induce an increment of the reduction of xylose to xylitol. Neutral red was utilized as an electron mediator in the whole cell reactor, and a graphite-Mn(IV) electrode was used as a catalyst in the enzyme reactor in order to induce the electrochemical reduction of $NAD^+$ to NADH. The efficiency with which xylose was converted to xylitol in the electrochemical bioreactor was five times higher than that in the conventional bioreactor, when whole cells were employed as a biocatalyst. Meanwhile, the xylose to xylitol reduction efficiency in the enzyme reactor using the graphite-Mn (IV) electrode and $NAD^+$ was twice as high as that observed in the conventional bioreactor which utilized NADH as a reducing power. In order to use the graphite-Mn(IV) electrode as a catalyst for the reduction of $NAD^+$ to NADH, a bioelectrocatalyst was engineered, namely, oxidoreductase (e.g. xylose reductase). $NAD^+$ can function in this biotransformation procedure without any electron mediator or a second oxidoreductase for $NAD^+/NADH$ recycling

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1665-1671
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• 2009

Anaerobic digestion sludge was cultivated in an electrochemical bioreactor (ECB) to enrich the hydrogenotrophic methanogens. A modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red (NR-cathode) was charged with electrochemical reducing power generated from a solar cell. The methane and carbon dioxide collected in a Teflon bag from the ECB were more than 80 ml/l of reactant/day and less than 20 ml/l of reactant/day, respectively, whereas the methane and carbon dioxide collected from a conventional bioreactor (CB) was around 40 ml/l of reactant/day, respectively. Moreover, the maximal volume ratios of methane to carbon dioxide (M/C ratio) collected in the Teflon bag from the ECB and CB were 7 and 1, respectively. The most predominant methanogens isolated from the CB on the $20^{th}$, $80^{th}$, and $150^{th}$ days of incubation were hydrogenotrophs. The methanogenic diversity analyzed by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) of the 16S rDNA variable region was higher in the ECB than in the CB. The DNA extracted from the TGGE bands was more than 95% homologous with hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the ECB, but was an aceticlastic methanogen in the CB. In conclusion, the ECB was demonstrated as a useful system for enriching hydrogenotrophic methanogens and increasing the M/C ratio of the gas product.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.532-537
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• 2022

The need for obtaining treated wastewater that meets high quality standards for discharge or reuse necessitates the use of highly efficient wastewater treatment techniques. In the present study, experiments have been carried out to reduce the concentration level of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total dissolved solids (TDS) from the wastewater sample. Treatment of sample of a real municipal wastewater collected from a sewage treatment plant (STP) was carried out in an electrochemical membrane bioreactor (EMBR). The EMBR was operated continuously for five days, and readings were taken at regular intervals. This paper has experimental results conducted in EMBR that indicate reduction of BOD, COD, and TDS levels of up to 32.25%, 29.25%, and 31.93%, respectively. Further, it was observed that a current of magnitude of 0.00752 mA was generated due to the metabolic activities of bacteria present in municipal wastewater, which gradually decreased day by day due to the decay of bacteria.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2007

A gas-circulating bioreactor was used for enrichment of autotrophic methanogens. Mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide (5:1) was used as a sole energy and carbon source. Anaerobic digestive sludge isolated from wastewater treatment system was inoculated into the gas-circulating bioreactor. The enrichment of two chemolithotrophic methanogens, Methanobacterium curvum and Methanobacterium oryzae was accomplished in the gas-circulating bioreactor. The enriched bacteria were cultivated in a bioreactor equipped with hollow-fiber hydrogen-supplying system (hollow-fiber bioreactor), and a hybrid-type bioreactor equipped with hollow-fiber hydrogen-supplying system and electrochemical redox control system. The methane productivity was maximally 30% (V/V) in the hollow-fiber bioreactors and 50% (V/V) in the hybrid-type bioreactor.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.836-844
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• 2009

A denitrification bacterium was isolated from riverbed soil and identified as Ochrobactrum sp., whose specific enzymes for denitrification metabolism were biochemically assayed or confirmed with specific coding genes. The denitrification activity of strain G3-1 was proportional to glucose/nitrate balance, which was consistent with the theoretical balance (0.5). The modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red, which functions as a solid electron mediator, enhanced the electron transfer from electrode to bacterial cell. The porous carbon anode was coated with a ceramic membrane and cellulose acetate film in order to permit the penetration of water molecules from the catholyte to the outside through anode, which functions as an air anode. A non-compartmented electrochemical bioreactor (NCEB) comprised of a solid electron mediator and an air anode was employed for cultivation of G3-1 cells. The intact G3-1 cells were immobilized in the solid electron mediator, by which denitrification activity was greatly increased at the lower glucose/nitrate balance than the theoretical balance (0.5). Metabolic stability of the intact G3-1 cells immobilized in the solid electron mediator was extended to 20 days, even at a glucose/nitrate balance of 0.1.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.666-674
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• 2009

An electrochemical bioreactor (ECB) composed of a cathode compartment and an air anode was used in this study to characterize the ethanol fermentation of Zymomonas mobilis. The cathode and air anode were constructed of modified graphite felt with neutral red (NR) and a modified porous carbon plate with cellulose acetate and porous ceramic membrane, respectively. The air anode operates as a catalyst to generate protons and electrons from water. The growth and ethanol production of Z. mobilis were 50% higher in the ECB than were observed under anoxic nitrogen conditions. Ethanol production by growing cells and the crude enzyme of Z. mobilis were significantly lower under aerobic conditions than under other conditions. The growing cells and crude enzyme of Z. mobilis did not catalyze ethanol production from pyruvate and acetaldehyde. The membrane fraction of crude enzyme catalyzed ethanol production from glucose, but the soluble fraction did not. NADH was oxidized to $NAD^+$in association with $H_2O_2$reduction, via the catalysis of crude enzyme. Our results suggested that NADH/$NAD^+$balance may be a critical factor for ethanol production from glucose in the metabolism of Z. mobilis, and that the metabolic activity of both growing cells and crude enzyme for ethanol fermentation may be induced in the presence of glucose.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2007

Biofilm media was equipped in two-compartmented wastewater treatment bioreactor which was separated by porcelain septum. DC 2.0 volt of electric potential was charged to anodic (oxidative) biofilm media (ABM) to induce oxidation potential but not to that of carbon (neutral) biofilm media (CBM) that was used for control test. Biofilm structure, biomass variation, Off variation and wastewater treatment efficiency in the bioreactor equipped with ABM (ABM-bioreactor) and CBM (CBM-bioreactor). Time-coursed variation of biofilm structure forming on surface of ABM and CBM was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The biofilm growing on ABM was dispersed on surface and was not completely covered the media but the biofilm growing on CBM was continuously increased and finally covered the media. The ORP of CBM was decreased to 100 mV, which was reciprocally proportional to the biomass growth. However, the ORP of ABM was about 800 mV, which was maintained during operation for about 60 days. The treatment efficiency of COD in the ABM bioreactor was 2 times higher than those in the CBM bioreactor. From these results, we proposed that electrochemical oxidation potential charged to biofilm media may inhibit formation of biofilm extremely condensed and activate bacterial cell metabolism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1230-1239
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• 2010

Five bacterial species, capable of degrading the recalcitrant organic compounds (ROCs) diethyleneglycol monomethylether (DGMME), 1-amino-2-propanol (APOL), 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), diethyleneglycol monoethylether (DGMEE), tetraethyleneglycol (TEG), and tetrahydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide (sulfolane), were isolated from an enrichment culture. Cupriavidus sp. catabolized $93.5{\pm}1.7$ mg/l of TEG, $99.3{\pm}1.2$ mg/l of DGMME, $96.1{\pm}1.6$ mg/l of APOL, and $99.5{\pm}0.5$ mg/l of NMP in 3 days. Acineobacter sp. catabolized 100 mg/l of DGMME, $99.9{\pm}0.1$ mg/l of NMP, and 100 mg/l of DGMEE in 3 days. Pseudomonas sp.3 catabolized $95.7{\pm}1.2$ mg/l of APOL and $99.8{\pm}0.3$ mg/l of NMP. Paracoccus sp. catabolized $98.3{\pm}0.6$ mg/l of DGMME and $98.3{\pm}1.0$ mg/l of DGMEE in 3 days. A maximum $43{\pm}2.0$ mg/l of sulfolane was catabolized by Paracoccus sp. in 3 days. When a mixed culture composed of the five bacterial species was applied to real wastewater containing DGMME, APOL, NMP, DGMEE, or TEG, 92~99% of each individual ROC was catabolized within 3 days. However, at least 9 days were required for the complete mineralization of sulfolane. Bacterial community diversity, analyzed on the basis of the TGGE pattern of 16S rDNA extracted from viable cells, was found to be significantly reduced in a conventional bioreactor after 6 days of incubation. However, biodiversity was maintained after 12 days of incubation in an electrochemical bioreactor. In conclusion, the electrochemical reduction reaction enhanced the diversity of the bacterial community and actively catabolized sulfolane.