Matching Items (3)
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- All Subjects: Fermentation
- Creators: Torres, César I
- Creators: Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby
Description
Microbial electrochemical cells (MXCs) offer an alternative to methane production in anaerobic water treatment and the recapture of energy in waste waters. MXCs use anode respiring bacteria (ARB) to oxidize organic compounds and generate electrical current. In both anaerobic digestion and MXCs, an anaerobic food web connects the metabolisms of different microorganisms, using hydrolysis, fermentation and either methanogenesis or anode respiration to break down organic compounds, convert them to acetate and hydrogen, and then convert those intermediates into either methane or current. In this dissertation, understanding and managing the interactions among fermenters, methanogens, and ARB were critical to making developments in MXCs. Deep sequencing technologies were used in order to identify key community members, understand their role in the community, and identify selective pressures that drove the structure of microbial communities. This work goes from developing ARB communities by finding and using the best partners to managing ARB communities with undesirable partners. First, the foundation of MXCs, namely the ARB they rely on, was expanded by identifying novel ARB, the genus Geoalkalibacter, and demonstrating the presence of ARB in 7 out of 13 different environmental samples. Second, a new microbial community which converted butyrate to electricity at ~70% Coulombic efficiency was assembled and demonstrated that mixed communities can be used to assemble efficient ARB communities. Third, varying the concentrations of sugars and ethanol fed to methanogenic communities showed how increasing ED concentration drove decreases in methane production and increases in both fatty acids and the propionate producing genera Bacteroides and Clostridium. Finally, methanogenic batch cultures, fed glucose and sucrose, and exposed to 0.15 – 6 g N-NH4+ L-1 showed that increased NH4+ inhibited methane production, drove fatty acid and lactate production, and enriched Lactobacillales (up to 40% abundance) above 4 g N-NH4+ L-1. Further, 4 g N-NH4+ L-1 improved Coulombic efficiencies in MXCs fed with glucose and sucrose, and showed that MXC communities, especially the biofilm, are more resilient to high NH4+ than comparable methanogenic communities. These developments offer new opportunities for MXC applications, guidance for efficient operation of MXCs, and insights into fermentative microbial communities.
ContributorsMiceli, Joseph (Author) / Torres, César I (Thesis advisor) / Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa (Thesis advisor) / Rittmann, Bruce (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
Electro-Selective Fermentation (ESF) combines Selective Fermentation (SF) and a Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC) to selectively degrade carbohydrate and protein in lipid-rich microalgae biomass, enhancing lipid wet-extraction. In addition, saturated long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) are produced via β-oxidation. This dissertation builds understanding of the biochemical phenomena and microbial interactions occurring among fermenters, lipid biohydrogenaters, and anode respiring bacteria (ARB) in ESF. The work begins by proving that ESF is effective in enhancing lipid wet-extraction from Scenedesmus acutus biomass, while also achieving “biohydrogenation” to produce saturated LCFAs. Increasing anode respiration effectively scavenges short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) generated by fermentation, reducing electron loss. However, the effectiveness of ESF depends on biochemical characteristics of the feeding biomass (FB). Four different FB batches yield different lipid-extraction performances, based on the composition of FB’s cellular structure. Finally, starting an ESF reactor with a long solid retention time (SRT), but then switching it to a short SRT provides high lipid extractability and volumetric production with low lipid los. Lipid fermenters can be flushed out with short a SRT, but starting with a short SRT fails achieve good results because fermenters needed to degrading algal protective layers also are flushed out and fail to recover when a long SRT is imposed. These results point to a potentially useful technology to harvest lipid from microalgae, as well as insight about how this technology can be best managed.
ContributorsLiu, Yuanzhen (Author) / Rittmann, Bruce E. (Thesis advisor) / Torres, César I (Committee member) / Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Northern peatland carbon cycling is under close observation and is critical to include in models projecting the future effects of climate change as these ecosystems represent a significant source of atmospheric methane (CH4). Changes in the in situ conditions, brought upon by the warming climate, could alter the rates of organic matter decomposition and accelerate the emissions of greenhouse, changing northern peatland’s status as a carbon sink. In order to develop a better understanding of the climate’s effect on the microbial community composition, carbon decomposition cascade, and flux of CH4 and CO2, anoxic soil microcosms were supplemented with either glucose or propionate to test the distinct intermediary metabolism of four northern peatland sites with statistically similar geochemistry that exist across a climate gradient. Lutose (LT) and Bog Lake (BL) consumed the supplemented glucose at the highest rates, 42.6 mg/L per day and 39.5 mg/L per day respectively. Chicago Bog (CB) and Daring Lake (DL) consumed the supplemented propionate at the highest rates, 5.26 mg/L per day and 4.34 mg/L per day respectively. BL microcosms showed low levels of methanogenesis as CH4 concentrations reached a maximum of 2.61 µmol/g dry soil in the treatments. In DL, the site with the highest production of CH4, the low abundance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens (Methanocellaceae and Methanoregulaceae) and relatively steady concentrations of acetate and formate could indicate that these are the more desired methanogenic substrates. These findings are indicative of the differences in metabolic potential found across these geochemically similar peatlands, lending to climate variables being a major driver in microbial community potential. To further characterize the intermediary metabolism and the effect of the climate gradient in these sites, future experimentations should incorporate 13C DNA-stable isotope probing data, establish a mass balance of the system, and incubate the microcosms at their respective in situ temperatures.
ContributorsBourquin, Brandon Phillip (Author) / Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby (Thesis director) / Marcus, Andrew (Committee member) / Sarno, Analissa F. (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05