Enhanced microbial oil production by activated sludge microorganisms via co‐fermentation of glucose and xylose

The co‐fermentation of glucose and xylose by activated sludge microorganisms for the production of microbial oils for use as biodiesel feedstock was investigated. Various carbon sources at initial concentration of 60 g/L and C:N ratio 70:1 were investigated: xylose, glucose, and 2:1 and 1:2 (by mass) glucose/xylose mixtures. Oil accumulation ranged between 12 to 22% CDW, the highest of which was obtained when xylose was the sole substrate used. Kinetic modeling of the fermentation data showed that specific growth and oil accumulation rates were similar in all substrate types and the lipid coefficient ranged from 0.02 to 0.06 g/g of sugar consumed. The fatty acid methyl ester yield and composition of the lipids showed their suitability for conversion to biodiesel. Based on the results, lignocellulose sugars could be used as fermentation substrates by activated sludge microorganisms for enhancing the oil content of sewage sludge for its use as a sustainable biofuel feedstock source. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 4036–4044, 2013     

Etude de la reduction de l'oxygene sur les phtalocyanines monomeres et polymeres—II: Polyphtalocyanines de fer impregnees sur noir d'acetylene Y

The electrocatalytic activity of different iron polyphthalocyanines directly impregnated on carbon blacks during their synthesis is observed as a function of the synthesis parameters. The electrodes are formed by electrophoresis. A reaction mechanism function of the electrolytic medium and of the former treatménts of the electrode is proposed.     

Single-step preparation of rutile-type CrNbO4 and CrTaO4 oxides from oxalate precursors–characterization and properties

Chromium niobate and tantalate (CrNbO₄ and CrTaO₄) were synthesized by pyrolysis of the oxalate-based heterometallic complexes [Cr₂(bpy)₄(μ-O)₄Nb₂(C₂O₄)₄]·3H₂O (Cr-Nb) and [Cr(bpy)₂(H₂O)(μ-O)Ta(C₂O₄)₃]₂·3.5H₂O (Cr-Ta) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine). Compared to conventional solid-state synthesis, herein studied oxides are prepared at lower temperatures, in one step without repeating grinding procedures. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of the as-synthesized oxides were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). The determined band gap energies of CrNbO₄ and CrTaO₄ are 2.39 and 2.82 eV, respectively, which prompted us to investigate photocatalytic activity of these oxides in degradation of dyes. Microscopy studies show that the particles of both oxides began to aggregate into bigger particles, leading to an increase in grain size. Additionally, magnetization measurements on both oxides revealed spin-glass behavior at low temperatures.     

A spectrophotometric method for quantitative determination of xylose in fermentation medium

Monitoring the consumption of sugars during fermentation is a key to optimizing product formation and maintaining a healthy environment for microorganisms. Difficulty arises in the availability of a rapid, inexpensive and sensitive method for the detection of sugars because fermentation media are a complex mix of nutrients, cell debris, waste and target products. A method involving reaction-based UV-Vis spectrophotometry for the quantitative determination of xylose as the target sugar was developed. Factors affecting xylose concentration measurements such as hydrochloric acid concentration, heating time and the amount of Fe³⁺ catalyst were investigated. A continuous scan revealed the working wavelength to be 671 nm. The effect of other components in the fermentation broth was found to be negligible. Absorbance shows a linear relationship with xylose concentration within a range of 0.1-0.5 g/L. Xylose concentrations from fermentation samples obtained at specific time intervals (0-168 h) were determined with the method and compared with YSI 2700, an enzyme electrode, HPLC-ELSD method, currently a common technique for measuring xylose and GC aldononitrile sugar derivatization method. Dilution is necessary for comparable xylose concentrations with YSI 2700 and HPLC-ELSD. Xylose concentration measurements obtained with the UV-Vis spectrophotometric method although quantitatively comparable to HPLC-ELSD xylose measurements were easily and conveniently obtained compared to YSI 2700, HPLC-ELSD and GC derivatization methods.     

Compatibilisation of various PLA/thermoplastic elastomer blends with diisocyanate coupling agent

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is characterised by its inherent brittleness, a detrimental feature for the production of durable bioplastics. PLA has been toughened by a low amount (12?wt-%) of various thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) including poly(ether-b-ester) (PEEs), poly(ether-b-amide) (PEBA) and poly(ether-b-urethane) (PEU). PLA–TPE blends were prepared by using a twin screw extruder. Ductility and impact resistance can be slightly improved with the incorporation of TPEs but but PEBA appears the most efficient. Reactive compatibilisation has been performed with the addition in the melt of a low amount (2?wt-%) of 4,4-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. All compatibilised blends exhibit high toughness with similar ductility. These blends preserve good stiffness and high tensile strength. Compatibilised PEBA blends can be considered as super tough poly(lactic acid) materials. This work confirms that the flexibility of the elastomer together with the quality of the interfacial adhesion between the rigid (PLA) and the soft (TPE) phases are the primary factors influencing the toughness.     

Two-scale expansion with drift approach to the Taylor dispersion for reactive transport through porous media

In this work we study reactive flows through porous media. We suppose dominant Péclet's number, dominant Damköhler's number and general linear reactions at the pore boundaries. Our goal is to obtain the dispersion tensor and the upscaled model. We introduce the multiple scale expansions with drift for the problem and use this technique to upscale the reactive flow equations. Our result is illustrated with numerical simulations for the dispersion tensor.     

Effect of acetic acid on lipid accumulation by glucose‐fed activated sludge cultures

BACKGROUND: The effect of acetic acid, a lignocellulose hydrolysis by‐product, on lipid accumulation by activated sludge cultures grown on glucose was investigated. This was done to assess the possible application of lignocellulose as low‐cost and renewable fermentation substrates for biofuel feedstock production. RESULTS: Biomass yield was reduced by around 54% at a 2 g L^?1 acetic acid dosage but was increased by around 18% at 10 g L^?1 acetic acid dosage relative to the control run. The final gravimetric lipid contents at 2 and 10 g L^?1 acetic acid levels were 12.5 ± 0.7% and 8.8 ± 3.2% w/w, respectively, which were lower than the control (17.8 ± 2.8% w/w). However, biodiesel yields from activated sludge grown with acetic acid (5.6 ± 0.6% w/w for 2 g L^?1 acetic acid and 4.2 ± 3.0% w/w for 10 g L^?1 acetic acid) were higher than in raw activated sludge (1–2% w/w). The fatty acid profiles of the accumulated lipids were similar with conventional plant oil biodiesel feedstocks. CONCLUSIONS: Acetic acid enhanced biomass production by activated sludge at high levels but reduced lipid production. Further studies are needed to enhance acetic acid utilization by activated sludge microorganisms for lipid biosynthesis. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

On the Origin of the Canonical Nucleobases: An Assessment of Selection Pressures across Chemical and Early Biological Evolution

The native bases of RNA and DNA are prominent examples of the narrow selection of organic molecules upon which life is based. How did nature “decide” upon these specific heterocycles? Evidence suggests that many types of heterocycles could have been present on the early Earth. It is therefore likely that the contemporary composition of nucleobases is a result of multiple selection pressures that operated during early chemical and biological evolution. The persistence of the fittest heterocycles in the prebiotic environment towards, for example, hydrolytic and photochemical assaults, may have given some nucleobases a selective advantage for incorporation into the first informational polymers. The prebiotic formation of polymeric nucleic acids employing the native bases remains, however, a challenging problem to reconcile. Hypotheses have proposed that the emerging RNA world may have included many types of nucleobases. This is supported by the extensive utilization of non-canonical nucleobases in extant RNA and the resemblance of many of the modified bases to heterocycles generated in simulated prebiotic chemistry experiments. Selection pressures in the RNA world could have therefore narrowed the composition of the nucleic acid bases. Two such selection pressures may have been related to genetic fidelity and duplex stability. Considering these possible selection criteria, the native bases along with other related heterocycles seem to exhibit a certain level of fitness. We end by discussing the strength of the N-glycosidic bond as a potential fitness parameter in the early DNA world, which may have played a part in the refinement of the alphabetic bases.     

Oil production by a consortium of oleaginous microorganisms grown on primary effluent wastewater

BACKGROUND: Municipal wastewater could be a potential growth medium that has not been considered for cultivating oleaginous microorganisms. This study is designed to determine if a consortium of oleaginous microorganism can successfully compete for carbon and other nutrients with the indigenous microorganisms contained in primary effluent wastewater. RESULTS: The oleaginous consortium inoculated with indigenous microorganisms reached stationary phase within 24 h, reaching a maximum cell concentration of 0.58 g L^?1. Water quality post‐oleaginous consortium growth reached a maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of approximately 81%, supporting the consumption of the glucose within 8 h. The oleaginous consortium increased the amount of oil produced per gram by 13% compared with indigenous microorganisms in raw wastewater. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results show a substantial population increase in bacteria within the first 24 h when the consortium is inoculated into raw wastewater. CONCLUSION: This result, along with the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) results, suggests that conditions tested were not sufficient for the oleaginous consortium to compete with the indigenous microorganisms. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Etude de la reduction de l'oxygene sur les phtalocyanines monomeres et polymeres—I. principes fondamentaux,choix de l'ion central

The catalytic activity of compounds of the phthalocyanine type can be predicted by means of present theories of catalysis. Study of the activity of iron, cobalt, nickel and copper phthalocyanines shows that the Fe(II) compounds are the most active, the order being PcFe > PcCo > PcNi > PcCu. Molecular orbital theory can be used to relate the order of activity to the filling of the d-levels. The electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction has been experimentally examined.