• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.689-694
• /
• 2006

We investigated the potential use of various carbon sources (fructose, glucose, mannose, lactose, and glycerol) for culturing Phaeodactylum tricornutum UTEX-640 in mixotrophic and heterotrophic batch cultures. Concentrations of carbon substrates tested ranged from 0.005 M to 0.2 M. P. tricornutum did not grow heterotrophically on any of the C-sources used, but successive additions of organic carbon in mixotrophic growth mode substantially increased the biomass concentration and productivity relative to photoautotrophic controls. The maximum biomass productivities in mixotrophic cultures for glycerol, fructose, and glucose were 21.30 mg/l h, 15.80 mg/l h, and 10.20 mg/l h, respectively. These values were respectively 10-, 8-, and 5-fold higher than those obtained in the corresponding photoautotrophic control cultures. Mannose and lactose did not significantly affect microalgal growth. The biomass lipids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and pigments contents were considerably enhanced with glycerol and fructose in relation to photoautotrophic controls. The EPA content was barely affected by the sugars, but were more than 2-fold higher in glycerol-fed cultures than in photoautotrophic controls.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1706-1715
• /
• 2018

Several non-methylotrophic bacteria have been reported to improve the growth and activity of methanotrophs; however, their interactions remain to be elucidated. We investigated the interaction between Methylocystis sp. M6 and Microbacterium sp. NM2. A batch co-culture experiment showed that NM2 markedly increased the biomass and methane removal of M6. qPCR analysis revealed that NM2 enhanced both the growth and methane-monooxygenase gene expression of M6. A fed-batch experiment showed that co-culture was more efficient in removing methane than M6 alone (28.4 vs. $18.8{\mu}mol{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$), although the biomass levels were similar. A starvation experiment for 21 days showed that M6 population remained stable while NM2 population decreased by 66% in co-culture, but the results were opposite in pure cultures, indicating that M6 may cross-feed growth substrates from NM2. These results indicate that M6 apparently had no negative effect on NM2 when M6 actively proliferated with methane. Interestingly, a batch experiment involving a dialysis membrane indicates that physical proximity between NM2 and M6 is required for such biomass and methane removal enhancement. Collectively, the observed interaction is beneficial to the methanotroph but adversely affects the non-methylotroph; moreover, it requires physical proximity, suggesting a tight association between methanotrophs and non-methylotrophs in natural environments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.9
• /
• pp.1434-1443
• /
• 2019

Although chemical oxygen demand (COD) is an important issue for wastewater treatment, COD reduction with microalgae has been less studied compared to nitrogen or phosphorus removal. COD removal is not efficient in conventional wastewater treatment using microalgae, because the algae release organic compounds, thereby finally increasing the COD level. This study focused on enhancing COD removal and meeting the effluent standard for discharge by optimizing sludge inoculation timing, which was an important factor in forming a desirable algae/bacteria consortium for more efficient COD removal and higher biomass productivity. Activated sludge has been added to reduce COD in many studies, but its inoculation was done at the start of cultivation. However, when the sludge was added after 3 days of cultivation, at which point the COD concentration started to increase again, the algal growth and biomass productivity were higher than those of the initial sludge inoculation and control (without sludge). Algal and bacterial cell numbers measured by qPCR were also higher with sludge inoculation at 3 days later. In a semi-continuous cultivation system, a hydraulic retention time of 5 days with sludge inoculation resulted in the highest biomass productivity and N/P removal. This study achieved a further improved COD removal than the conventional microalgal wastewater treatment, by introducing bacteria in activated sludge at optimized timing.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.179-182
• /
• 2003

Anaerobic fermentation was attempted to produce methane from the wood chip (Eucalyptus globulus). By the pretreatment of the wood chip using hot water with high temperature, NaOH, and steam explosion, the production of methane gas was enhanced. The pretreatment using Steam explosion resulted in more amount of methane gas produced than the treatment using either hot water or 1% (w/w) NaOH with high temperature, and the steam explosion at a steam pressure of 25 atm and a steaming time of 3 min was the most effective for the methane production. The amount of methane gas produced depended on the ratio of weight of Klason lignin, a high molecular weight lignin, in the treated wood chip.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.535-540
• /
• 2008

In this study, the effects of several factors such as initial nitrate concentration, C/N ratio, biomass amount and external carbon source on denitrification process were investigated using synthetic wastewater and sludge obtained from wastewater treatment facility. As a result, the condition of lower initial nitrate concentration was increased to the removal rate of nitrate than that of high concentration. The increases of C/N ratio and initial biomass amount were linearly enhanced the removal rate. The use of ethanol as external carbon source was shown the highest removal yield than that of others.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.663-671
• /
• 2022

The saccharification of cellulose and hemicellulose is essential for utilizing lignocellulosic biomass as a biofuel. While cellulose is composed of glucose only, hemicelluloses are composed of diverse sugars such as xylose, arabinose, glucose, and galactose. Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is a good potential candidate for biofuel production using hemicellulose as this archaeon simultaneously utilizes various sugars. However, S. acidocaldarius has to be manipulated because the enzyme that breaks down hemicellulose is not present in this species. Here, we engineered S. acidocaldarius to utilize xylan as a carbon source by introducing xylanase and β-xylosidase. Heterologous expression of β-xylosidase enhanced the organism's degradability and utilization of xylooligosaccharides (XOS), but the mutant still failed to grow when xylan was provided as a carbon source. S. acidocaldarius exhibited the ability to degrade xylan into XOS when xylanase was introduced, but no further degradation proceeded after this sole reaction. Following cell growth and enzyme reaction, S. acidocaldarius successfully utilized xylan in the synergy between xylanase and β-xylosidase.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.268-274
• /
• 2009

A photosynthetic cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis, well known for health food supplement, was studied as a target species for atmospheric $CO_2$ removal as well as biomass production. Although the biomass of A. platensis was massively produced in many countries, the recovery cost of its biomass is still high. The purpose of this study was to develop the A. platensis mutant strains which have enhanced growth rate and floatation activity to reduce the recovery cost. A. platensis KCTC AG20590 was treated with 0.24% ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) for 20 min at room temperature. The mutant strain A. platensis M20CJK3 was finally selected by its morphological and physiological features. The morphology of the mutant A. platensis M20CJK3 was changed from loose-coiled form to tight-coiled form showing short pitch. The growth and $CO_2$ uptake rate of A. platensis M20CJK3 were improved about 15% and 17% compared with A. platensis KCTC AG20590, respectively. The floatation activity of A. platensis M20CJK3 was enhanced in 2-fold compared with that of A. platensis KCTC AG20590. Soluble proteins extracted from two strains were analyzed by two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and MALDI-TOF MS/MS. Among 15 protein spots induced in 2-DE analysis, two spots were the proteins related to photosynthesis and electron transfer system of the other cyanobacteria. As a consequence, it seems that the tight-coiled mutant A. platensis M20CJK3 has an advantage of high growth rate and floatation activity which are beneficial for the mass cultivation and recovery.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.25 no.7
• /
• pp.969-976
• /
• 2004

Cassava peelings waste, which is both a waste and pollutant, was chemically modified using mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) and used to adsorb $Cu^{2+}\;and\;Cd^{2+}$ from aqueous solution over a wide range of reaction conditions at $30^{\circ}C$. Acid modification produced a larger surface area, which significantly enhanced the metal ion binding capacity of the biomass. An adsorption model based on the $Cu^{2+}/Cd^{2+}$ adsorption differences was developed to predict the competition of the two metal ions towards binding sites for a mixed metal ion system. The phytosorption process was examined in terms of Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich models. The models indicate that the cassava waste biomass had a greater phytosorption capacity, higher affinity and greater sorption intensity for $Cu^{2+}\;than\;Cd^{2+}$. According to the evaluation using Langmuir equation, the monolayer binding capacity obtained was 127.3 mg/g $Cu^{2+}$ and 119.6 mg/g $Cd^{2+}$. The kinetic studies showed that the phytosorption rates could be described better by a pseudo-second order process and the rate coefficients was determined to be $2.04{\times}10^{-3}\;min^{-1}\;and\;1.98{\times}10^{-3}\;min^{-1}\;for\;Cu^{2+}\;and\;Cd^{2+}$ respectively. The results from these studies indicated that acid treated cassava waste biomass could be an efficient sorbent for the removal of toxic and valuable metals from industrial effluents.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.558-564
• /
• 2010

Cleaning up the landfill soil by phytoremediation in association with biomass production and utilization of biosolid as a soil amendment will be an attractive green technology. In order to examine this integrated green technology, in the current study of pot trial, heavy metal removal rate and biomass production were determined following cultivation of three different plant species in the landfill soil incorporated with biosolid at two different levels (25 ton $ha^{-1}$ and 50 ton $ha^{-1}$). Among the three plant species including Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), giant sunflower (Helianthus giganteus. L), and giant cane (Arundo donax. L), sunflower appeared to produce the largest biomass yield (19.2 ton $ha^{-1}$) and the produced amounts were magnificently increased with biosolid treatment compared to the control (no biosoild treatment). The increased production associated with biosolid treatment was common for other plant species and this was attributed to the biosolid originated nutrients as well as the improved soil physical properties due to the organic matter from biosolid. The elevated heavy metals in soil which was originated from the incorporated biosolid were Cu and Zn. Based on the phytoavailable amount of heavy metals from biosolid, the removed amount by plant shoots were 95% and 165% for Cu and Zn, respectively, when sunflower was grown. This indicated that mitigation of heavy metal accumulation in soils achieved by the removal of metal through sunflower cultivation enables the successive treatment of biosolid to soils. Moreover, sunflower showed heavy metal stabilization ability in the rhizosphere resulting in alleviation of metal release to ground water.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.780-786
• /
• 2005

The biomass of the brown seaweed, Ecklonia, was used to remove Cr(VI) from wastewater. Previously, Cr(VI) was removed through its reduction to Cr(III) when brought into contact with the biomass. In this study, the effects of ionic strength, background electrolytes, and Cr(III), Ni(II), Zn(II), and Fe(III) on the Cr(VI) reduction were examined. An increased ionic strength inhibited the Cr(VI) reduction. The presence of other heavy metals, such as Cr(III), Ni(II), or Zn(II), only slightly affected the Cr(VI) reduction, while Fe(III) enhanced the reduction. Although the above various parameters could affect the reduction rate of Cr(VI) by Ecklonia biomass, these effects were relatively smaller than those of pH and temperature. In addition, the previously derived rate equation was found to be applicable over a range of ionic strengths and with different background electrolytes. In conclusion, Ecklonia, bioniass may be a good candidate as a biosorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from wastewaters containing various other impurities, and scale-up to a practical process may be accomplished using the previously derived rate equation.