Advance on the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates by mixed cultures

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are the polymers of hydroxyalkanoates that accumulate as carbon/energy or reducing-power storage material in various microorganisms. PHAs have attracted considerable attention as biodegradable substitutes for conventional polymers. Until now, however, industrial production of PHAs has encountered only limited success. The main barrier to the replacement of synthetic plastics by PHAs has been the higher cost. The use of mixed cultures and renewable sources obtained from waste organic carbon can substantially decrease the cost of PHA and increase their market potential. This work reviews two main methods of PHA production by mixed cultures, anaerobic-aerobic processing and aerobic transient feeding processing, and analyzed the metabolic and effective factors.     

Batch tests for assessing decolourisation of azo dyes by methanogenic and mixed cultures

Most of the published studies on azo dye colour removal involve anaerobic mixed cultures and there is some interest in the knowledge of how dye reduction occurs, if by facultative, strictly anaerobic or both bacterial trophic groups present in classic anaerobic digestors. This paper describes the behaviour of methanogenic and mixed bacteria cultures on the colour removal in batch systems, of a commercial azo dye, C.I. Acid Orange 7, used in paper and textile industries. The aim of this study is to demonstrate, by analysing dye decolourisation, that it occurs with mixed cultures as well as with strictly anaerobic (methanogenic) cultures. Tests were performed with a range of dye concentrations between 60 and 300 mg l⁻¹. The influence of dye concentration on the carbon source removal and decolourisation processes was studied. The effect of carbon source concentration on colour removal was also analysed for both cultures. The degradation rates in mixed and methanogenic cultures were compared. The consumption of carbon source was monitored by COD analysis and dye degradation by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and thin layer chromatography.     

Modeling and experimental study on the anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic process for simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal: The effect of acetate addition

A mathematical model based on the simulation software AQUASIM was developed to validate an anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic (AOA) process that enables simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a single reactor by adding external organic carbon to preclude excess aerobic phosphate uptake by polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and provide phosphate for denitrifying PAOs (DNPAOs). Aerobic batch tests after anaerobic phosphate release with different chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations indicated that the effect of COD concentration on the phosphate uptake preclusion could be expressed by a simple formula. The reduction factor reflecting the formula, which retards the aerobic phosphate uptake in the presence of COD, was added to the process rates of aerobic polyphosphate storage and PAOs growth in the model. The improved model, which included the reduction factor, reasonably matched the experimental result regarding aerobic phosphate uptake behavior whereas the model without it did not; thus, the former precisely predicts the AOA process behavior.     

Geographical and technological differences in life cycle inventories shown by the use of process models for waste incinerators part I. technological and geographical differences

Goal and Background  Geographical and technological differences in Life Cycle Inventory data are an important source for uncertainty in the result of Life Cycle Assessments. Knowledge on their impact on the result of an LCA is scarce, and also knowledge on how to manage them in an LCA case study. Objective  Goal of this paper is to explore these differences for municipal solid waste incinerator plants, and to develop recommendations for managing technological and geographical differences. Methodology  The paper provides a definition of technological and geographical differences, and analyses their possible impacts. In a case study, the differences are caused intentionally in ‘games’, by virtually transplanting incineration plants to a different location and by changing parameters such as the composition of the waste input incinerated. The games are performed by using a modular model for municipal solid waste incinerator plants. In each case, an LCA including an Impact Assessment is calculated to trace the impact of these changes, and the results are compared. Conclusions  The conclusions of the paper are two-fold: (1) reduce the differences in inventory data where their impact on the result is high; where it is possible reducing them to a great extent, and the effort for performing the change acceptable; in the case of incineration plants: Adapt the flue gas treatment, especially a possible DeNOx step, to the real conditions; (2) make use of modular process models that allow adapting plant parameters to better meet real conditions, but be aware of possible modelling errors. The paper invites the scientific community to validate the model used for a waste incinerator plant, and suggest putting up similar models for other processes, preferably those of similar relevance for Life Cycle Inventories.     

Production of fuels and chemicals from renewable resources using engineered Escherichia coli

Biotechnological production of fuels and chemicals from renewable resources is an appealing way to move from the current petroleum-based economy to a biomass-based green economy. Recently, the feedstocks that can be used for bioconversion or fermentation have been expanded to plant biomass, microbial biomass, and industrial waste. Several microbes have been engineered to produce chemicals from renewable resources, among which Escherichia coli is one of the best studied. Much effort has been made to engineer E. coli to produce fuels and chemicals from different renewable resources. In this paper, we focused on E. coli and systematically reviewed a range of fuels and chemicals that can be produced from renewable resources by engineered E. coli. Moreover, we proposed how can we further improve the efficiency for utilizing renewable resources by engineered E. coli, and how can we engineer E. coli for utilizing alternative renewable feedstocks. e.g. C1 gases and methanol. This review will help the readers better understand the current progress in this field and provide insights for further metabolic engineering efforts in E. coli.