Construction of versatile plastic-degrading microbial consortia based on ligninolytic microorganisms associated with agricultural waste composting.

The accumulation of plastic in ecosystems is one of the most critical environmental concerns today. Plastic biodegradation using individual microbial cultures has shown limited success, which can be improved by employing microbial consortia with appropriate enzymatic capabilities. This study aims to assemble and characterize microbial consortia using ligninolytic fungi and bacteria isolated from an agricultural waste composting process, with the goal of enhancing the efficiency of plastic biodegradation.

Enhancing earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) tolerance to plastic contamination through gut microbiome fortification with plastic-degrading microorganisms.

Microorganisms from L. terrestris gut previously exposed to different types of plastic (PET, LDPE, LLDPE, and PS) were studied to be used as probiotics of earthworms in plastic-contaminated soils (LDPE, LLDPE and recycled mulching film) at mesocosm-scale trials. The most abundant morphotypes with enzymatic capacities of interest were identified.

Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms.

The increase in the production of highly recalcitrant plastic materials, and their accumulation in ecosystems, generates the need to investigate new sustainable strategies to reduce this type of pollution. Based on recent works, the use of microbial consortia could contribute to improving plastic biodegradation performance. This work deals with the selection and characterization of plastic-degrading microbial consortia using a sequential and induced enrichment technique from artificially contaminated microcosms.

Industrial Composting of Sewage Sludge: Study of the Bacteriome, Sanitation, and Antibiotic-Resistant Strains.

Wastewater treatment generates a huge amount of sewage sludge, which is a source of environmental pollution. Among the alternatives for the management of this waste, industrial composting stands out as one of the most relevant. The objective of this study was to analyze the bacterial population linked to this process and to determine its effectiveness for the reduction, and even elimination, of microorganisms and pathogens present in these organic wastes.

Characterization of Thermophilic Lignocellulolytic Microorganisms in Composting.

Composting involves the selection of a microbiota capable of resisting the high temperatures generated during the process and degrading the lignocellulose. A deep understanding of the thermophilic microbial community involved in such biotransformation is valuable to improve composting efficiency and to provide thermostable biomass-degrading enzymes for biorefinery. This study investigated the lignocellulose-degrading thermophilic microbial culturome at all the stages of plant waste composting, focusing on the dynamics, enzymes, and thermotolerance of each member of such a community.

Industrial composting of low carbon/nitrogen ratio mixtures of agri-food waste and impact on compost quality.

The agri-food waste (AW) require amendments for composting to adjust nutritional and physicochemical deficiencies. The theoretical mixtures formulation is difficult to reach on an industrial scale. The main objective of this work was to evaluate to what extent the composition of AW-based mixtures determines the quality of the final compost produced at the industrial scale.

Integral approach using bacterial microbiome to stabilize municipal solid waste.

Biological transformation of municipal solid waste is an environment-friendly management strategy against recalcitrant residues. The bacterial biome that inhabit said residues are responsible of decomposing both simple and complex materials. For this reason, processes such as composting, which favor the acceleration of the transformation of organic matter, can contribute to the degradation of municipal solid waste.

Bioremediation of Olive Mill Wastewater sediments in evaporation ponds through in situ composting assisted by bioaugmentation.

The common method for the disposal of olive oil mill wastewater (OMW) has been its accumulation in evaporation ponds where OMW sediments concentrate. Due to the phytotoxic and antimicrobial effect of OMW, leaks from ponds can pollute soils and water bodies. This work focuses on the search for microorganisms that can be used as inocula for bioremediation of polluted matrices in OMW ponds by means of in situ composting.

Biodiversity and succession of mycobiota associated to agricultural lignocellulosic waste-based composting.

A comprehensive characterization of the culturable mycobiota associated to all stages of lignocellulose-based composting was achieved. A total of 77 different isolates were detected, 69 of which were identified on the basis of the 5.8-ITS region sequencing.

Enzymatic characterization of microbial isolates from lignocellulose waste composting: chronological evolution.

Successful composting is dependent upon microbial performance. An interdependent relationship is established between environmental and nutritional properties that rule the process and characteristics of the dominant microbial communities. To reach a better understanding of this relationship, the dynamics of major metabolic activities associated with cultivable isolates according to composting phases were evaluated.

Exploiting composting biodiversity: study of the persistent and biotechnologically relevant microorganisms from lignocellulose-based composting.

The composting ecosystem is a suitable source for the discovery of novel microorganisms and secondary metabolites. This work analyzes the identity of microbial community that persists throughout lignocellulose-based composting, evaluates their metabolic activities and studies the capability of selected isolates for composting bioaugmentation. Bacterial species of the phyla Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria and fungi of the phylum Ascomycota were ubiquitous throughout the composting.

Tracking organic matter and microbiota dynamics during the stages of lignocellulosic waste composting.

The dynamics of biologically meaningful soluble and polymeric carbon fractions and the combined relationships between physical, chemical and biological parameters during composting of lignocellulosic waste were evaluated. The first thermophilic stage is crucial in determining the further evolution of soluble and polymeric carbon fractions but the dynamics of carbon is still important at the maturation stage. Multivariate data analysis showed that not only are all parameters interrelated but also influence one another's variability.