Cultivation of marine microalgae using shale gas flowback water and anaerobic digestion effluent as the cultivation medium.

The potential of shale gas flowback water and anaerobic digestion (AD) effluent to reduce the water and nutrient requirements for marine microalgae cultivation was evaluated with the following strains: Nannochloropsis salina, Dunaliella tertiolecta, and Dunaliella salina. N. salina and D.

Genomic variation in tomato, from wild ancestors to contemporary breeding accessions.

Background: Domestication modifies the genomic variation of species. Quantifying this variation provides insights into the domestication process, facilitates the management of resources used by breeders and germplasm centers, and enables the design of experiments to associate traits with genes. We described and analyzed the genetic diversity of 1,008 tomato accessions including Solanum lycopersicum var.

Solid-state anaerobic digestion of fungal pretreated Miscanthus sinensis harvested in two different seasons.

Solid-state anaerobic digestion of Miscanthus sinensis harvested in fall and spring was compared under different total solids contents and feedstock-to-inoculum ratios. The highest specific methane yields reached 170-175LCH4/kg volatile solids for both harvest seasons. Miscanthus harvested in fall generated a 6% higher methane yield in average than miscanthus harvested in spring.

Integration of Shiitake cultivation and solid-state anaerobic digestion for utilization of woody biomass.

Pretreatment technologies that can not only reduce the recalcitrance of woody biomass but also achieve a high benefit-cost ratio are desirable for bioenergy production from woody biomass. In this study, an integrated process was proposed and conducted by pretreating woodchips via Shiitake cultivation for improved methane yield during solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD), and simultaneously producing mushrooms as a high-value co-product. Shiitake cultivation using woodchips as the main substrate ingredient obtained mushroom yields comparable to those using a commercial substrate.

Effect of limited air exposure and comparative performance between thermophilic and mesophilic solid-state anaerobic digestion of switchgrass.

Switchgrass is an attractive feedstock for biogas production via anaerobic digestion (AD). Many studies have used switchgrass for liquid anaerobic digestion (L-AD), but few have used switchgrass for solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD). Limited air exposure to the reactor headspace has been adopted in commercial scale anaerobic digesters for different applications.

Comparison of premixing methods for solid-state anaerobic digestion of corn stover.

The development of solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) has prompted studies to resolve practical challenges such as mixing of feedstock and inoculum. This study compared the performance of SS-AD using three premixing methods. Results showed that at feedstock to inoculum (F/I) ratios of 4 and 6, the two-layer partial premixing method obtained the highest methane yield, followed by one-layer partial premixing and complete premixing methods.

Integration of biological kinetics and computational fluid dynamics to model the growth of Nannochloropsis salina in an open channel raceway.

Microalgal growth and systemic productivity is not only affected by environmental conditions such as temperature, irradiance, and nutrient concentrations, but also by physical processes such as fluid flow and particulate sedimentation. Modeling and simulating the system is a cost-effective way to predict the growth behavior under various environmental and physical conditions while determining effective engineering approaches to maximize productivity. Many mathematical models have been proposed to describe microalgal growth, while computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have been used to model the behavior of many fluid systems.

Predicting the methane yield of lignocellulosic biomass in mesophilic solid-state anaerobic digestion based on feedstock characteristics and process parameters.

In this study, multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were explored and validated to predict the methane yield of lignocellulosic biomass in mesophilic solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) based on the feedstock characteristics and process parameters. Out of the eleven factors analyzed in this study, the inoculation size (F/E ratio), and the contents of lignin, cellulose, and extractives in the feedstock were found to be essential in accurately determining the 30-day cumulative methane yield. The interaction between F/E ratio and lignin content was also found to be significant.

Biological conversion of methane to liquid fuels: status and opportunities.

Methane is the main component of natural gas and biogas. As an abundant energy source, methane is crucial not only to meet current energy needs but also to achieve a sustainable energy future. Conversion of methane to liquid fuels provides energy-dense products and therefore reduces costs for storage, transportation, and distribution.

Anaerobic digestion of giant reed for methane production.

As a fast growing plant, giant reed has good potential to be used as a feedstock for methane production via anaerobic digestion (AD). The effect of total solids (TS) content, an AD operating parameter, was studied. Results showed that increasing TS from 8% to 38% decreased methane yield, due to the inhibition of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and total ammonia nitrogen (TAN); while the maximum volumetric methane production was obtained at 20-23% TS.

Solid-state anaerobic co-digestion of spent mushroom substrate with yard trimmings and wheat straw for biogas production.

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is a biomass waste generated from mushroom production. About 5 kg of SMS is generated for every kg of mushroom produced. In this study, solid state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) of SMS, wheat straw, yard trimmings, and their mixtures was investigated at different feedstock to effluent ratios.

The effect of nutritional status on myogenic gene expression of satellite cells derived from different muscle types.

Satellite cells (SC) are a multipotential stem cell population responsible for facilitating posthatch muscle fiber hypertrophy. The proliferation and differentiation of SC is sensitive to nutritional regimen, and the SC response to nutrition varies depending upon their muscle type of origin. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of altering protein synthesis on the expression of several key genes regulating SC activity and the effect of muscle type.

Biogas energy production from tropical biomass wastes by anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an attractive technology in tropical regions for converting locally abundant biomass wastes into biogas which can be used to produce heat, electricity, and transportation fuels. However, investigations on AD of tropical forestry wastes, such as albizia biomass and food wastes, such as taro, papaya, and sweet potato, are limited. In this study, these tropical biomass wastes were evaluated for biogas production by liquid AD (L-AD) and/or solid-state AD (SS-AD), depending on feedstock characteristics.

A mass diffusion-based interpretation of the effect of total solids content on solid-state anaerobic digestion of cellulosic biomass.

In solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) of cellulosic biomass, the volumetric methane production rate has often been found to increase with the increase in total solids (TS) content until a threshold is reached, and then to decrease. This phenomenon cannot be explained by conventional understanding derived from liquid anaerobic digestion. This study proposed that the high TS content-caused mass diffusion limitation may be responsible for the observed methane production deterioration.

Two-step sequential liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass by crude glycerol for the production of polyols and polyurethane foams.

A two-step sequential biomass liquefaction process was developed to produce bio-based polyols and polyurethane (PU) foams using crude glycerol as a liquefaction solvent. The first step, acid-catalyzed liquefaction, was highly effective in liquefying biomass, while the second step, base-catalyzed liquefaction, featured extensive condensation reactions. By using the developed two-step liquefaction process, the polyols produced from lignocellulosic biomass and crude glycerol containing 26-40% organic impurities showed hydroxyl numbers ranging from 536 to 936mgKOH/g, viscosities from 20.

Fungal pretreatment of unsterilized yard trimmings for enhanced methane production by solid-state anaerobic digestion.

Fungal pretreatment is an environmentally friendly process that has been widely studied to improve the digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass. However, sterilization of feedstocks, a costly process, is generally required prior to the fungal pretreatment. In this study, fungal pretreatment of unsterilized yard trimmings using yard trimmings pre-colonized with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora as an inoculum was investigated.

Effects of microbial and non-microbial factors of liquid anaerobic digestion effluent as inoculum on solid-state anaerobic digestion of corn stover.

The microbial activity of the inoculum (liquid anaerobic digestion effluent) was altered by autoclaving part of the effluent to study the effect of feedstock to active effluent ratio (F/Ea, 2.2-6.6) and the feedstock to total effluent ratio (F/Et, 2.

Fungal pretreatment of yard trimmings for enhancement of methane yield from solid-state anaerobic digestion.

Yard trimmings were pretreated by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, a white-rot fungus that selectively degrades lignin, to enhance methane production via solid-state anaerobic digestion. Effects of moisture content (MC), at 45%, 60%, and 75%, on the degradation of holocellulose and lignin in the fungal pretreatment step and on methane production in the digestion step were studied with comparison to the control group (autoclaved without inoculation) and raw yard trimmings. It was found that C.

Solid-state anaerobic co-digestion of hay and soybean processing waste for biogas production.

Co-digestion of soybean processing waste (SPW) and hay in solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) for biogas production was investigated. Effects of the SPW to hay ratio, feedstock to effluent (inoculum) ratio, premixing of effluent with feedstock, and leachate recirculation on biogas production via SS-AD were studied. The highest methane yield of 258 L/kg VS was obtained with a SPW/hay ratio of 75:25 and feedstock/effluent (F/E) ratio of 3, which was 148% and 50% higher than that of 100% SPW and 100% hay, respectively.

Polyols and polyurethanes from the liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass.

Polyurethanes (PUs), produced from the condensation polymerizations between polyols and isocyanates, are one of the most versatile polymer families. Currently, both polyols and isocyanates are largely petroleum derived. Recently, there have been extensive research interests in developing bio-based polyols and PUs from renewable resources.

Effect of outdoor conditions on Nannochloropsis salina cultivation in artificial seawater using nutrients from anaerobic digestion effluent.

The effects of simulated outdoor seasonal climatic conditions on Nannochloropsis salina (N. salina) grown using nutrients from anaerobic digestion (AD) effluent were evaluated in this study. Under various light exposure (LE) and temperature (10-30 °C) conditions, N.

A cytochrome P450 regulates a domestication trait in cultivated tomato.

Domestication of crop plants had effects on human lifestyle and agriculture. However, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms accompanying the changes in fruit appearance as a consequence of selection by early farmers. We report the fine mapping and cloning of a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit mass gene encoding the ortholog of KLUH, SlKLUH, a P450 enzyme of the CYP78A subfamily.

Cbf14 copy number variation in the A, B, and D genomes of diploid and polyploid wheat.

Freezing tolerance and winter hardiness are complex traits. In the Triticeae, two loci on the group 5 chromosome homoeologs are repeatedly identified as having major effects on these traits. Recently, we found that segments of the genomic region at one of these loci, Frost resistance-2 (Fr-2) is copy number variable in barley.

Comparison of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Nannochloropsis salina for lipid production using artificial seawater and nutrients from anaerobic digestion effluent.

The potential use of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 (Synechocystis sp.) for lipid production using artificial seawater (ASW) medium supplemented with anaerobic digestion effluent (ADE) was investigated and compared to marine microalgae, Nannochloropsis salina (N.