Influence of carbohydrates and proteins concentration on fermentative hydrogen production using canteen based waste under acidophilic microenvironment.

Functional role of biomolecules viz., carbohydrates and proteins on acidogenic biohydrogen (H(2)) production was studied through the treatment of canteen based composite food waste. The performance was evaluated in an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (AnSBR) at pH 6 with five variable organic loading conditions (OLR1, 0.

Biodiesel production from isolated oleaginous fungi Aspergillus sp. using corncob waste liquor as a substrate.

The study documented the potential of isolated filamentous fungus Aspergillus sp. as whole cell biocatalyst for biodiesel production using Sabourauds dextrose broth medium (SDBM) and corncob waste liquor (CWL) as substrates. SDBM showed improvement in both biomass production (13.

Solid phase microbial fuel cell (SMFC) for harnessing bioelectricity from composite food waste fermentation: influence of electrode assembly and buffering capacity.

Solid phase microbial fuel cells (SMFC; graphite electrodes; open-air cathode) were designed to evaluate the potential of bioelectricity production by stabilizing composite canteen based food waste. The performance was evaluated with three variable electrode-membrane assemblies. Experimental data depicted feasibility of bioelectricity generation from solid state fermentation of food waste.

Sustainable power generation from floating macrophytes based ecological microenvironment through embedded fuel cells along with simultaneous wastewater treatment.

Miniatured floating macrophyte based ecosystem (FME) designed with Eichornia as the major biota was evaluated for bioelectricity generation and wastewater treatment. Three fuel cell assemblies (non-catalyzed electrodes) embedded in FME were evaluated with domestic sewage and fermented distillery wastewater in continuous mode for 210 days. Fermented distillery effluents from biohydrogen production (dark-fermentation) process exhibited effective power generation with simultaneous waste remediation.

Dehydrogenase activity in association with poised potential during biohydrogen production in single chamber microbial electrolysis cell.

Variation in the dehydrogenase (DH) activity and its simultaneous influence on hydrogen (H2) production, substrate degradation rate (SDR) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) generation was investigated with respect to varying poised potential in single chambered membrane-less microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) using anaerobic consortia as biocatalyst. Poised potential showed significant influence on H2 production and DH activity. Maximum H2 production was observed at 1.

Comparative bioelectrochemical analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli with anaerobic consortia as anodic biocatalyst for biofuel cell application.

Aims: To study the bioelectrochemical behaviour of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 17702) and Escherichia coli (MTCC 10436) and to assess their potential to act as anodic biocatalyst with the function of anaerobic consortia for microbial (bio) fuel cell (BFC) application.

Methods And Results: Three BFCs (single chamber; open-air cathode; noncatalysed electrodes) were operated simultaneously in acidophilic microenvironments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (BFC(P)) showed higher current density (264 mA m(-2) ) followed by mixed culture (BFC(M); 166 mA m(-2)) and E.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae as anodic biocatalyst for power generation in biofuel cell: influence of redox condition and substrate load.

Bio (microbial) fuel cell (microbial fuel cell) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as anodic biocatalyst was evaluated in terms of power generation and substrate degradation at three redox conditions (5.0, 6.0 and 7.

Potential of mixed microalgae to harness biodiesel from ecological water-bodies with simultaneous treatment.

Biodiesel as an eco-friendly fuel is gaining much acceptance in recent years. This communication provides an overview on the possibility of using mixed microalgae existing in ecological water-bodies for harnessing biodiesel. Microalgal cultures from five water-bodies are cultivated in domestic wastewater in open-ponds and the harvested algal-biomass was processed through acid-catalyzed transesterification.

Multi stage high rate biomethanation of poultry litter with self mixed anaerobic digester.

A multi stage high rate biomethanation process with novel self mixed anaerobic digester (SMAD) was developed in the present study to reduce the hydraulic residence time (HRT), increase the volatile solids (VS) loading rate, improve the VS destruction efficiency and enhance the methane yield. Specific design features of SMAD were useful in mixing the digester contents without consuming power and de-alienated the problem of scum formation. In the first phase, poultry litter having 10% total solids (TS) was subjected to high rate biomethanation in multi stage configuration (SMAD-I and II in series with UASB reactor).

Fermentative effluents from hydrogen producing bioreactor as substrate for poly(beta-OH) butyrate production with simultaneous treatment: an integrated approach.

The feasibility of bioplastics production as poly(beta-OH)butyrate (PHB) was studied with individual volatile fatty acids (VFA) and acid-rich effluents from a biohydrogen producing reactor (HBR) as primary substrates employing aerobic consortia as biocatalyst under anoxic microenvironment. Butyrate as substrate showed higher PHB productivity (33%) followed by acetate (32%), acids mixture (16%) and propionate (11%) among synthetic VFA studied. Acid-rich effluents from HBR yielded higher PHB productivity (25%) especially at lower substrate loading conditions.

Positive anodic poised potential regulates microbial fuel cell performance with the function of open and closed circuitry.

Positive influence of poised potential on microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance was observed with increase in the applied potential up to 600 mV and decreased thereafter. Higher power output (79.33 mW/m(2)) was observed at 600 mV poised potential under open circuit operation (OC).

Biohydrogen production process optimization using anaerobic mixed consortia: a prelude study for use of agro-industrial material hydrolysate as substrate.

Efficient biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic hydrolysate assumes considerable practical and academic importance. The impact of glucose to xylose ratio, medium pH, inoculum size and age on biohydrogen production indicated that glucose to xylose ratio is the critical parameter for effective H(2) production compared to either pure glucose or xylose as carbon source. Inoculum size and its age contributed more than 70% to overall H(2) production and revealed significance at individual as well as interactive level.

Ecologically engineered system (EES) designed to integrate floating, emergent and submerged macrophytes for the treatment of domestic sewage and acid rich fermented-distillery wastewater: Evaluation of long term performance.

An ecologically engineered system (EES) was designed to mimic the natural cleansing functions of wetlands to bring about wastewater treatment. EES consisted of three tanks containing diverse biota viz., aquatic macrophytes, submerged plants, emergent plants and filter feeders connected in series.

Bio-electrochemical treatment of distillery wastewater in microbial fuel cell facilitating decolorization and desalination along with power generation.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC; open-air cathode) was evaluated as bio-electrochemical treatment system for distillery wastewater during bioelectricity generation. MFC was operated at three substrate loading conditions in fed-batch mode under acidophilic (pH 6) condition using anaerobic consortia as anodic-biocatalyst. Current visualized marked improvement with increase in substrate load without any process inhibition (2.

Insight into the dehydrogenase catalyzed redox reactions and electron discharge pattern during fermentative hydrogen production.

Dehydrogenase (DH) activity associated with bio-electrochemical behavior was analyzed for the first time to understand the redox reactions involved in fermentative hydrogen (H(2)) production process in concurrence with proton (H(+)) shuttling and electron (e(-)) discharge (ED) pattern. DH facilitates the availability of H(+) through redox reactions to make H(2). We have designed a comprehensive experimental study to evaluate the DH activity (H(+) shuttling) and ED to understand the biochemical process with the function of pH (5, 6, 7 and 8) and metabolic microenvironment [anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic (control)].

Composite vegetable waste as renewable resource for bioelectricity generation through non-catalyzed open-air cathode microbial fuel cell.

Single chambered mediatorless microbial fuel cell (MFC; non-catalyzed electrodes) was operated to evaluate the potential of bioelectricity generation from the treatment of composite waste vegetables (EWV) extract under anaerobic microenvironment using mixed consortia as anodic biocatalyst. The system was operated with designed synthetic wastewater (DSW; 0.98 kg COD/m(3)-day) during adaptation phase and later shifted to EWV and operated at three substrate load conditions (2.

Development of balanced medium composition for improved rifamycin B production by isolated Amycolatopsis sp. RSP-3.

Aim: To develop optimum fermentation environment for enhanced rifamycin B production by isolated Amycolatopsis sp. RSP-3.

Methods And Results: The impact of different fermentation parameters on rifamycin B production by isolated Amycolatopsis sp.

Phosphatase and dehydrogenase activities in anodic chamber of single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) at variable substrate loading conditions.

Performance of microbial fuel cell (MFC) was evaluated with the function of phosphatase and dehydrogenase activities at increasing organic loading rate (OLR) (0.195kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m(3)-day; 0.458kg COD/m(3)-day; 0.

Nickel-impregnated silica nanoparticle synthesis and their evaluation for biocatalyst immobilization.

In the present investigation, impact of nickel-impregnated silica paramagnetic particles (NSP) as biocatalyst immobilization matrices was investigated. These nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel route using a nonionic surfactant block co polymer [poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly-(propylene glycol)-block-poly (ethylene glycol)]. Diastase enzyme was immobilized on these particles (enzyme-impregnated NSP) as model enzyme and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.

Evaluation of antineoplastic activity of extracellular asparaginase produced by isolated Bacillus circulans.

L-Asparaginase is an important component in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Its antineoplastic activity toward malignant cells is due to their characteristic nature in slow synthesis of L-asparagine (Asn), which causes starvation for this amino acid, while normal cells are protected from Asn starvation due to their ability to produce this amino acid. The relative selectivity with regard to the metabolism of malignant cells forces to look for novel asparaginase with little glutaminase-producing systems compared to existing enzyme.

Continuous production of oxytetracycline in fluidized bed bioreactor by immobilized cells of Streptomyces varsoviensis MTCC-1537: effect of dilution and glucose loading rates.

Oxytetracycline (OT) production using glutaraldehyde cross-linked calcium alginate immobilized cells of Streptomyces varsoviensis in continuous fluidized bed reactor (FBR) was investigated. Initially, batch experiments were carried in stirred tank reactor (STR) and FBR using calcium alginate immobilized cells. Higher OT production of 0.

Non-catalyzed microbial fuel cell (MFC) with open air cathode for bioelectricity generation during acidogenic wastewater treatment.

Single chambered mediatorless microbial fuel cell (MFC Nafion-117 membrane) fabricated with non-catalyzed electrodes was operated with open-air cathode to evaluate bioelectricity generation from domestic wastewater under acidogenic conditions (pH, 6) using anaerobic mixed consortia as anodic biocatalyst. Experimental data illustrated the feasibility of bioelectricity generation from domestic wastewater treatment. A steady increase in MFC performance was observed from the first cycle (0.

Acidogenic fermentation of vegetable based market waste to harness biohydrogen with simultaneous stabilization.

Vegetable based market waste was evaluated as a fermentable substrate for hydrogen (H(2)) production with simultaneous stabilization by dark-fermentation process using selectively enriched acidogenic mixed consortia under acidophilic microenvironment. Experiments were performed at different substrate/organic loading conditions in concurrence with two types of feed compositions (with and without pulp). Study depicted the feasibility of H(2) production from vegetable waste stabilization process.

Multiple responses optimization and modeling of lipase production by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa MTCC-8737 using response surface methodology.

Response surface methodology was employed to optimize culture medium for production of lipase with Rhodotorula sp. MTCC 8737. In the first step, a Plackett-Burman design was used to evaluate the effects of different inducers qualitatively.

Biological sulfide oxidation using autotrophic Thiobacillus sp.: evaluation of different immobilization methods and bioreactors.

Aims: Evaluation of various immobilization methods and bioreactors for sulfide oxidation using Thiobacillus sp. was studied.

Methods And Results: Ca-alginate, K-carrageenan and agar gel matrices (entrapment) and polyurethane foam and granular activated carbon (adsorption) efficacy was tested for the sulfide oxidation and biomass leakage using immobilized Thiobacillus sp.