The effect of microbiological pretreatment on pyrolysis process of sunflower husk.

In this study, two different microbial pretreatments (fungal and fungal-bacterial consortia) of sunflower seed husks were used to assess their impact on pyrolysis performance and the resulting biochar parameters. Both treatments reduced the activation energy of the pyrolysis process and shortened the temperature range of pyrolysis, making the process easier to initiate and sustain. Moreover, they enhanced the yield of fractions with compounds containing low (C-C) and medium (C-C) number of carbon atoms at 400 and 500 °C.

Evaluation of acidogenesis products' effect on biogas production performed with metagenomics and isotopic approaches.

Background: During the acetogenic step of anaerobic digestion, the products of acidogenesis are oxidized to substrates for methanogenesis: hydrogen, carbon dioxide and acetate. Acetogenesis and methanogenesis are highly interconnected processes due to the syntrophic associations between acetogenic bacteria and hydrogenotrophic methanogens, allowing the whole process to become thermodynamically favorable. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of the dominant acidic products on the metabolic pathways of methane formation and to find a core microbiome and substrate-specific species in a mixed biogas-producing system.

Methane-yielding microbial communities processing lactate-rich substrates: a piece of the anaerobic digestion puzzle.

Background: Anaerobic digestion, whose final products are methane and carbon dioxide, ensures energy flow and circulation of matter in ecosystems. This naturally occurring process is used for the production of renewable energy from biomass. Lactate, a common product of acidic fermentation, is a key intermediate in anaerobic digestion of biomass in the environment and biogas plants.