[Effect of iron compounds on the treatment of fat-containing wastewaters].

Effects of iron compounds on methanogenic fermentation the water polluted with fatty acids were studied. A natural readily available source of iron applicable to biological treatment of liquid wastes was searched for. A positive effect of iron on the methanogenic fermentation of fats and their degradation products--long-chain fatty acids--in aqueous media was demonstrated.

[Use of the level of G+C n DNA for studying the molecular phylogeny o f methanogenic archaebacteria].

A new method for theoretical analysis of the molecular phylogeny of bacteria, successfully applied earlier to nitrifying bacteria, was used to study the molecular phylogeny of methanogenic archaebacteria. The group studied included Methanococcus igneus, Methanococcus vannielii, Methanothermus fervidus, Methanolobus tindarius, Methanobacterium formicicum, Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanobacterium thermoformicicum, Methanoplanus limicola, Methanospirillum hungatei, and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Based on the hypothesis that direct linear regression always exists between evolutionary changes in the DNA G + C content and the primary structure of rRNA, the branching order of the phylogenetic tree of methanogenic archaebacteria was determined.

[A morphological and cytofluorometric analysis of the age structure of yeast populations].

The morphological and cytofluorometric analysis of the age structure of yeast populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida boidinii and Candida tropicalis were carried out. The phase of cell preparation for budding and three phases of budding were accounted in morphological analysis. The latter was determined by the ratio of size of a mother cell and a bud.

The structure of bacterial cell cycle and age structure of bacterial populations.

Study of synchronous and asynchronous cultures of Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus licheniformis has shown that the duration of chromosomal DNA replication (period C) is proportional to the generation time, and time between two cycles of the DNA replication (known as period I). The duration of period C is nearly constant and makes up from 0.5 to 1.

[The use of the neustonic forms of bacilli for purifying and decontaminating reservoirs].

It is shown possible to select the bacterial strains which are neuston ones, i.e., concentrating on the water-atmosphere interface.

[Age specificity of the interaction of Bacillus cells with a liquid-gas interface].

The age specificity of the bacilli cells with liquid--gas interface was studied using flow cytofluorometry. This interactions is dependent on the position of the cell in the division cycle and not on the position of the cell in the DNA replication cycle.

[Study of asynchronous and synchronous yeast cultures using flow cytofluorometry].

Distribution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida boidinii and Candida tropicalis cells according to DNA content was investigated using laser flow cytofluorometry. Cells distribution curves according to DNA content possessed two maxima in case the sample belonged to the exponential phase of the asynchronous batch culture, or one maximum in case the sample was from the stationary phase of growth. In synchronous cultures variations of cells distribution curves according to DNA content (age structure of the population) were demonstrated and the curves with one maximum and plateau were observed.

[The autoselection of neustonic forms of bacteria].

Self-breeding of neuston forms of Methylobacterium sp., Pseudomonas putida BC-2, Alcaligenes paradoxus BC-1, Bacillus thuringiensis var. israilensis bacteria as well as of a mixed culture of methylotrophs is shown possible.

[The flotation characteristics of Bacillus cells and spores].

Variations in hydrophobicity of the surface of bacillary cells and their capacity to flotation in the process of batch cultivation have been studied. It is shown that hydrophobicity of the cell surface increases in the course of batch cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis, B. licheniformis and B.