Methods for rapid screening and isolation of bacteria producing acidic lipase: feasibility studies and novel activity assay protocols

Acidic lipase finds its commercial values in medical applications and bioremediation of food wastes. In this work, approaches for rapid screening of lipase-producing bacteria were developed and the feasibility assessment of the screening methods was performed. From food waste samples, the proposed screening procedures allowed isolation of sixteen pure bacterial strains expressing higher lipase activity at acidic pH (pH 6.0) than at alkaline pH (pH 9.0). To enhance the accuracy of lipase activity determination under acidic conditions, a novel assay procedure was also developed by deactivating lipase activity by microwave treatment prior to back titration. This additional step could minimize interferences arising from residual lipase activity during conventional direct back-titration methods in measuring lipase activity at acidic pH. Using the four strategies proposed in this work, the best acidic-lipase-producing isolate was obtained by strategy C (SSC) and was identified as Aeromonas sp. C14, displaying an optimal lipase activity of 0.7 U/ml at an acidic pH of 6.0.     

Optimization for xylanase and cellulase production from Aspergillus niger ATTC 6275 in palm oil mill wastes and its application

Optimization of enzyme production from Aspergillus niger ATCC 6275 under both submerged and solid-substrate cultivation was investigated. Results from submerged cultivation using palm oil mill effluent revealed that pretreatment of ground palm cake did not improve enzyme production. Addition of 0.60g NH4NO3/l generated maximum activity of xylanase and cellulase (CMCase). The optimum aeration rate was 1.2 v/v min. Under solid-substrate cultivation, the results indicated that heating and alkali treatment of the ground palm cake gave no further improvement in enzyme production. The optimal N-source was 2% urea. Optimal initial moisture contents for xylanase and CMCase activities were 60% and 50% respectively, with temperature optima of 30°C and 35°C, respectively. The optimal inoculum size was 1× 108 spores/g palm cake with an initial pH of 4.5–5.0. The maximum activities of xylanase (282.9U/g) and CMCase (23.8U/g) were obtained under the optimum conditions. Solid-substrate cultivation was a better method for the production of enzyme, particularly xylanase, from A. niger ATCC 6275. The application of these enzymes to decanter effluent showed the separation of oil and grease and suspended solids from the effluent. This is comparable to the result achieved from using the commercial xylase preparation Meicelase and superior to the effect of Sumyzyme.     

Applications of recombinant DNA technology to the pulp and paper industry

New gene selection techniques (Recombinant DNA) are currently available to exploit useful properties of various biological systems hitherto regarded as interesting but of little or no immediate commercial value. The application of genetic engineering techniques to problems in the Pulp and Paper Industry are many. As a first step these techniques are being used to provide much needed fundamental information on the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the expression of extra-cellular enzymes that degrade lignocellulosic pulping wastes. The information gleaned from the studies on cellulolytic fungi and bacteria can be used to genetically engineer a yeast or bacterium capable of converting pulping wastes into ethanol and other useful by-products.     

利用皇竹草处理城市污泥生产植物产品

利用大生物量植物——皇竹草(Pennisetum hydridum),处理城市污泥高效生产有用的植物产品。通过小型田间试验,采用根兜分株移栽和直接扦插方式种植皇竹草,比较土壤、新鲜污泥、土壤+新鲜污泥等体积混合、植物处理后的污泥4种介质的适应性,测定了皇竹草的成活率和生长状况,以及污泥自身性质的变化;通过盆栽试验及田间试验进一步探讨育苗后移栽在新鲜污泥上的可行性。结果表明,新鲜污泥上直接扦插的皇竹草无一存活,即使是根兜分株移栽其成活率也仅为16.67%,生长较差。而对于土壤+污泥混合物或植物处理后的污泥,采用直接扦插方式,皇竹草的成活率也分别达58.33%、75.00%,两个月干草产量达22.20、19.80 t/hm2,为土壤上的5.11、4.55倍。皇竹草吸收K较明显,3个有污泥的处理皇竹草K含量接近40 g/kg干重,N、P2O5、K2O的总含量大于70 g/kg,可作为有机K肥原料;皇竹草重金属Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd含量均符合国家饲料卫生标准(GB 13078—2001),作为饲料是安全的。盆栽试验及田间试验表明,采用育苗后移栽的方式,皇竹草在新鲜污泥上的成活率达66.67%以上。因此,城市污泥直接种植皇竹草可以实现资源化利用。     

旅游废弃物生态影响评价——以九寨沟、黄山风景区为例

从旅游生态系统物质与能量循环的特点出发,提出旅游废弃物的概念,构建基于生态足迹的旅游废弃物生态影响评价模型,并以九寨沟、黄山风景区为例进行实证比较研究.研究结果表明:(1)2004年九寨沟旅游废弃物生态足迹总量为46960.5678hm2,是黄山总量22331.4490hm2的2.1倍,人均0.024560966hm2是黄山人均0.01394088 hm2的1.76倍.(2)显性生态因子的废水、粪便、固体垃圾、废弃物处理设施的生态足迹很小,4类合计仅占总量的0.16%(九寨沟)与0.3%(黄山),而隐性生态因子CO2排放的生态足迹则占总量的99.84%(九寨沟)与99.70%(黄山).(3)2004年九寨沟与黄山旅游业的CO2排放量分别高达309455.66t与146947.84t,游客人均CO2排放量分别为161.85kg、91.74kg,旅游业的CO2排放对全球气候变化与生态影响的特征明显.(4)旅游废弃物生态足迹中游客占1%,居民占0.26%,而相关企业(交通、饭店)占98.74%.(5)旅游废弃物对九寨沟风景区、成都-九寨沟沿途区域、成都—九寨沟沿途区域以外地区不同空间尺度的生态影响分别为1.26%、34.8%、63.94%;对黄山风景区、黄山市区域、黄山市区域以外地区的生态影响分别为14.6%、31.97%、53.43%.(6)2004年九寨沟、黄山旅游业的生态效率分别为2.53kgCO2-e/US$、1.67kgCO2-e/US$,生态效率值偏大,对生态环境的影响深远.(7)由于风景区规模、性质、游客构成以及游客选择交通工具的差异,旅游废弃物对不同旅游地生态影响的程度与方向不同,而降低游客规模、缩短旅行距离、减少飞机旅行方式等是降低旅游废弃物生态影响的关键.     

多级逆流工艺促进城市污泥厌氧发酵生产挥发性脂肪酸

采用一种新型的厌氧发酵工艺——多级逆流发酵工艺对城市污泥进行厌氧发酵, 实现高效产挥发性脂肪酸的目的。结果表明, 实验条件下应用多级逆流发酵工艺, 挥发性脂肪酸浓度与产率分别达到(10.5±0.5) g/L和0.20 gVFAs/ gVS, 与普通厌氧发酵工艺相比, 分别提高了31%和54%。此外, 在多级逆流工艺中, 底物有机质去除率可达50%, 较普通厌氧发酵提高了37%。进一步分析多级逆流工艺产酸的机制, 发现产酸效率的提高在于降低了发酵产物对厌氧产酸细菌的抑制效应, 并且工艺的VFAs产率以及有机质去除率分别取决于第一级和第三级厌氧发酵过程。因此, 城市污泥采用多级逆流工艺厌氧发酵不仅能够有效促进挥发性脂肪酸的生成, 而且能够较大程度上提高污泥中有机质的去除率。     

Challenges and opportunities of the bio-pesticides production by solid-state fermentation: filamentous fungi as a model

In recent years, production and use of bio-pesticides have increasing and replacing some synthetic chemical pesticides applied to food commodities. In this review, biological control is focused as an alternative, to some synthetic chemical treatments that cause environmental, human health, and food quality risks. In addition, several phytopathogenic microorganisms have developed resistance to some of these synthetic chemicals and become more difficult to control. Worldwide, the bio-pesticides market is growing annually at a rate of 44% in North America, 20% in Europe and Oceania, 10% in Latin and South American countries and 6% in Asia. Use of agro-industrial wastes and solid-state fermentation (SSF) technology offers an alternative to bio-pesticide production with advantages versus conventional submerged fermentations, as reduced cost and energy consumption, low production of residual water and high stability products. In this review, recent data about state of art regarding bio-pesticides production under SSF on agroindustrial wastes will be discussed. SSF can be defined as a microbial process that generally occurs on solid material in the absence of free water. This material has the ability to absorb water with or without soluble nutrients, since the substrate must have water to support the microorganism’s growth and metabolism. Changes in water content are analyzed in order to select the conditions for a future process, where water stress can be combined with the best spore production conditions, obtaining in this way an inexpensive biotechnological option for modern agriculture in developing countries.     

聚乳酸(PLA)生物降解的研究进展

聚乳酸(Polylactic Acid,PLA)是一种新兴的,由可再生资源--乳酸聚合而成的高分子聚酯.因为其具有优良的物理化学性能、生物相容性及生物可降解性,且对环境及人体无毒害作用,而被认为是一种最具潜力的绿色生物塑料.作为环境友好材料,聚乳酸日益受到人们的重视.基于可循环利用的考虑,其生物降解的研究也成为当前研究的一个重要方面.本文综述了PLA生物降解领域的相关进展,包括降解的微生物学、相关酶学及分子生物学,系统阐述了PLA可能的生物降解机制.并对生物系统处理PLA废弃物的可行性进行了探讨.     

添加厨余垃圾对剩余污泥厌氧消化产沼气过程的影响

为提高剩余污泥厌氧消化的沼气产量和甲烷含量,研究了厨余垃圾的不同添加量对剩余污泥厌氧消化性能的影响。结果表明,在35℃下,随着剩余污泥中厨余垃圾添加量的增加,厌氧消化系统中碳氮质量比（C／N）、胞外多聚物（EPS）等生理生化指标均有不同程度的改善。其中当剩余污泥与厨余垃圾质量比为2：1时,混合有机废弃物中沼气产量和甲烷含量均达到最大值,每克挥发性固体（VS）产生了156．56mL沼气,甲烷体积分数为67．52％,分别比剩余污泥单独厌氧消化时的产气量提高了5倍和1．5倍。