Standardized protocol for determination of biohydrogen potential.

Biohydrogen production potential (BHP) depends on several factors like inoculum source, substrate, pH, among many others. Batch assays are the most common strategy to evaluate such parameters, where the comparison is a challenging task due to the different procedures used. The present method introduces the first internationally validated protocol, evaluated by 8 independent laboratories from 5 different countries, to assess the biohydrogen potential.

Sequential adaptation of Nannochloropsis gaditana to table olive processing water.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of Nannochloropsis gaditana to grow by sequential adaptation to TOPW (Table olive processing water) at increased substrate concentrations (10-80%). Sequential adaptation allows growing Nannochloropsis gaditana up to 80% TOPW, although the maximum microalgae biomass productions were achieved for percentages of 20-40%, i.e.

Microbial ecology of fermentative hydrogen producing bioprocesses: useful insights for driving the ecosystem function.

One of the most important biotechnological challenges is to develop environment friendly technologies to produce new sources of energy. Microbial production of biohydrogen through dark fermentation, by conversion of residual biomass, is an attractive solution for short-term development of bioH2 producing processes. Efficient biohydrogen production relies on complex mixed communities working in tight interaction.

Microbial communities from 20 different hydrogen-producing reactors studied by 454 pyrosequencing.

To provide new insight into the dark fermentation process, a multi-lateral study was performed to study the microbiology of 20 different lab-scale bioreactors operated in four different countries (Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay). Samples (29) were collected from bioreactors with different configurations, operation conditions, and performances. The microbial communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA genes 454 pyrosequencing.

Simultaneous production and separation of biohydrogen in mixed culture systems by continuous dark fermentation.

Hydrogen production by dark fermentation is one promising technology. However, there are challenges in improving the performance and efficiency of the process. The important factors that must be considered to obtain a suitable process are the source of the inoculum and its pre-treatment, types of substrates, the reactor configurations and the hydrogen partial pressure.

Microbial ecology in anaerobic digestion at agitated and non-agitated conditions.

To investigate the distribution and dynamics of microbial community in anaerobic digestion at agitated and non-agitated condition, 454 pyrosequencing of 16s rRNA was conducted. It revealed the distinct community compositions between the two digesters and their progressive shifting over time. Methanogens and syntrophic bacteria were found much less abundant in the agitated digester, which was mainly attributed to the presence of bacterial genera Acetanaerobacterium and Ruminococcus with relatively high abundance.

A methodology for a quantitative interpretation of DGGE with the help of mathematical modelling: application in biohydrogen production.

Molecular biology techniques provide valuable insights in the investigation of microbial dynamics and evolution. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis is one of the most popular methods which have been used in bioprocess assessment. Most of the anaerobic digestion models consider several microbial populations as state variables.

Identification in an anaerobic batch system: global sensitivity analysis, multi-start strategy and optimization criterion selection.

Several mathematical models have been developed in anaerobic digestion systems and a variety of methods have been used for parameter estimation and model validation. However, structural and parametric identifiability questions are relatively seldom addressed in the reported AD modeling studies. This paper presents a 3-step procedure for the reliable estimation of a set of kinetic and stoichiometric parameters in a simplified model of the anaerobic digestion process.

Anaerobic sequencing batch reactor as an alternative for the biological treatment of wine distillery effluents.

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of different modes of operation and configurations of Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Reactors (ASBRs) treating phenolic wastewater. Several lab-scale reactors were used in the mesophilic range. The reactors were fed with synthetic wastewater with a COD of 5 g/L using phenol as a carbon source (variable concentration) and glucose as a co-substrate.