Dual purpose microalgae-bacteria-based systems that treat wastewater and produce biodiesel and chemical products within a biorefinery

Assisting cultivation of photosynthetic microorganisms by microbial fuel cells to enhance nutrients recovery from wastewater

Spirulina was cultivated in cathodic compartments of photo-microbial fuel cells (P-MFC). Anodic compartments were fed with swine-farming wastewater, enriched with sodium acetate (2.34g_CODL^-1). Photosynthetic oxygen generation rates were sufficient to sustain cathodic oxygen reduction, significantly improving P-MFC electrochemical performances, as compared to water-cathode control experiments. Power densities (0.8-1Wm^-2) approached those of air-cathode MFCs, run as control. COD was efficiently removed and only negligible fractions leaked to the cathodic chamber. Spirulina growth rates were comparable to those of control (MFC-free) cultures, while pH was significantly (0.5-1unit) higher in P-MFCs, due to cathodic reactions. Alkaliphilic photosynthetic microorganisms like Spirulina might take advantage of these selective conditions. Electro-migration along with diffusion to the cathodic compartment concurred for the recovery of most nutrients. Only P and Mg were retained in the anodic chamber. A deeper look into electro-osmotic mechanisms should be addressed in future studies.

Energetic potential of algal biomass from high-rate algal ponds for the production of solid biofuels

In this investigation, chemical characteristics, higher, lower and net heating value, bulk and energy density, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to study the thermal characteristics of three algal biomasses. These biomasses, grown as by-products of wastewater treatment in high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs), were: (i) biomass produced in domestic effluent and collected directly from an HRAP (PO); (ii) biomass produced in domestic effluent in a mixed pond-panel system and collected from the panels (PA); and (iii) biomass originating from the treatment effluent from the meat processing industry and collected directly from an HRAP (IN). The biomass IN was the best alternative for thermal power generation. Subsequently, a mixture of the algal biomasses and Jatropha epicarp was used to produce briquettes containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of algal biomass, and their properties were evaluated. In general, the addition of algal biomass to briquettes decreased both the hygroscopicity and fixed carbon content and increased the bulk density, ash content, and energy density. A 50% proportion of biomass IN was found to be the best raw material for producing briquettes. Therefore, the production of briquettes consisting of algal biomass and Jatropha epicarp at a laboratory scale was shown to be technically feasible.

Remediation of a mixture of analgesics in a stirred-tank photobioreactor using microalgal-bacterial consortium coupled with attempt to valorise the harvested biomass

An artificial microalgal-bacterial consortium was used to remediate a mixture of analgesics (ketoprofen, paracetamol and aspirin) in a stirred-tank photobioreactor. A hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3days supported poor treatment because of the formation of p-aminophenol (paracetamol toxic metabolite). Increasing the HRT to 4days enhanced the bioremediation efficiency. After applying an acclimatization regime, 95% removal of the analgesics mixture, p-aminophenol and COD reduction were achieved. However, shortening the HRT again to 3days neither improved the COD reduction nor ketoprofen removal. Applying continuous illumination achieved the best analgesics removal results. The harvested biomass contained 50% protein, which included almost all essential amino acids. The detected fatty acid profile suggested the harvested biomass to be a good biodiesel-producing candidate. The water-extractable fraction possessed the highest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. These findings suggest the whole process to be an integrated eco-friendly and cost-efficient strategy for remediating pharmaceutical wastewater.

Recent advances and industrial viewpoint for biological treatment of wastewaters by oleaginous microorganisms

Recently, technology of using oleaginous microorganisms for biological treatment of wastewaters has become one hot topic in biochemical and environmental engineering for its advantages such as easy for operation in basic bioreactor, having potential to produce valuable bio-products, efficient wastewaters treatment in short period, etc. To promote its industrialization, this article provides some comprehensive analysis of this technology such as its advances, issues, and outlook especially from industrial viewpoint. In detail, the types of wastewaters can be treated and the kinds of oleaginous microorganisms used for biological treatment are introduced, the potential of industrial application and issues (relatively low COD removal, low lipid yield, cost of operation, and lack of scale up application) of this technology are presented, and some critical outlook mainly on co-culture method, combination with other treatments, process controlling and adjusting are discussed systematically. By this article, some important information to develop this technology can be obtained.

Microalgae cultivation in urban wastewater: Coelastrum cf. pseudomicroporum as a novel carotenoid source and a potential microalgae harvesting tool

The aim of this work was to study the optimal growth and high value-added production of the microalgae Coelastrum cf. pseudomicroporum Korshikov cultivated in urban wastewater. It was observed that C. cf. pseudomicroporum grew ideally in this medium, acting as an efficient nutrient starver. Additionally, the obtained biomass increased carotenoid cell content after saltwater stress. The effects of light intensity and salt stress on its growth rate were analysed. The results showed that this alga can grow very fast using wastewater as culture medium, reaching maximum growth rates of 1.61±0.05day^-1, and tolerating strong irradiances. It was also found that under salt-stress this species could accumulate carotenoids (range 1.73-91.2pgcell^-1). Moreover, a good harvesting efficiency (96.84%) was observed using Coelastrum exudates as bioflocculant of Scenedesmus sp., so Coelastrum exudates could act as a potential bioflocculant for other species.

Fungal pretreatment of raw digested piggery wastewater enhancing the survival of algae as biofuel feedstock

BACKGROUND

Understanding about the impact of white rot fungi on indigenous bacterial communities, NH₄⁺ and turbidity in digested piggery wastewater, will allow the optimization of wastewater treatment methods and its use as a feasible medium for algal growth. Here, the white rot fungi were inoculated into undiluted and unsterilized digested piggery wastewater under different temperatures and pH regimes in order to lower the pretreatment cost. Diversity and abundance of the bacterial communities in the pretreated wastewater were assessed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis coupled with 16S rDNA sequencing.

RESULTS

The research showed a significant reduction on the microbial diversity with the presence of white rot fungi which occur at pH 6. The distribution and presence of bacteria taxa were strongly correlated with NH₄⁺ concentration, pH, and the presence of white rot fungi. Variance partition analysis also showed that the effect on the chlorophyll content of algae in fungi-filtered wastewater was as the following hierarchy: bacterial diversity > NH₄⁺ > turbidity. Therefore, the algae in treated wastewater with less abundance of bacteria proliferated more successfully, indicating that bacterial community not only played an important role in algal growth but also imposed a strong top-down control on the algal population. The algae grown in wastewater treated with fungi reached the highest specific growth rate (0.033 day^-1), whereas the controls displayed the negative specific growth rate. The fatty acid composition varied markedly in C16:0 and C18:0 between these treatments, with a higher content of C16:0.

CONCLUSIONS

This study firstly showed that Chlorella can grow as cost-effective biofuel feedstocks in undiluted and unsterilized digested wastewater with high ammonium concentration and dark brown color because the bacterial abundance of digested piggery wastewater could be reduced greatly by the white rot fungi.

Microalgal Cultivation in Secondary Effluent: Recent Developments and Future Work

Eutrophication of water catchments and the greenhouse effect are major challenges in developing the global economy in the near future. Secondary effluents, containing high amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, need further treatment before being discharged into receiving water bodies. At the same time, new environmentally friendly energy sources need to be developed. Integrating microalgal cultivation for the production of biodiesel feedstock with the treatment of secondary effluent is one way of addressing both issues. This article provides a comprehensive review of the latest progress in microalgal cultivation in secondary effluent to remove pollutants and accumulate lipids. Researchers have discovered that microalgae remove nitrogen and phosphorus effectively from secondary effluent, accumulating biomass and lipids in the process. Immobilization of appropriate microalgae, and establishing a consortium of microalgae and/or bacteria, were both found to be feasible ways to enhance pollutant removal and lipid production. Demonstrations of pilot-scale microalgal cultures in secondary effluent have also taken place. However there is still much work to be done in improving pollutants removal, biomass production, and lipid accumulation in secondary effluent. This includes screening microalgae, constructing the consortium, making use of flue gas and nitrogen, developing technologies related to microalgal harvesting, and using lipid-extracted algal residues (LEA).

Biochemical compositions and fatty acid profiles in four species of microalgae cultivated on household sewage and agro-industrial residues

The potential of four regional microalgae species was evaluated in relation to their cell growth and biomass production when cultured in the following alternative media: bio-composts of fruit/horticultural wastes (HB), sugarcane waste and vinasse (VB) chicken excrements (BCE), raw chicken manure (RCM), and municipal domestic sewage (MDS). The cultures were maintained under controlled conditions and their growth responses, productivities, biochemical compositions, and the ester profiles of their biomasses were compared to the results obtained in the synthetic media. The MDS and HB media demonstrated promising results for cultivation, especially of Chlorella sp., Chlamydomonas sp., and Lagerheimia longiseta, which demonstrated productivities superior to those seen when grown on the control media. The highest lipid levels were obtained with the HB medium. The data obtained demonstrated the viability of cultivating microalgae and producing biomass in alternative media prepared from MDS and HB effluents to produce biodiesel.

Cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa in outdoor open raceway pond using domestic wastewater as medium in arid desert region

Chlorella pyrenoidosa was cultivated in secondary wastewater effluent to assess its nutrient removal capabilities. Wastewaters were obtained from a wastewater treatment plant located in Ouargla, Algeria. The experiments were conducted in winter under natural sunlight in an outdoor open raceway pond situated in the desert area. The highest biomass of the microalgae was found to be 1.71±0.04g/L. Temperatures ranged between 18 and 31°C. The average annual insolation was no less than 3500h with an annual solar irradiance of more than 2000kWh/m(2). Analyses of different parameters including COD, NH4(+)-N and TP were conducted throughout the cultivation period. Their average removal efficiencies were 78%, 95% and 81% respectively. The results demonstrated the potential of nutrient removal by microalgae grown on secondary wastewater in arid areas.

Symbiotic hollow fiber membrane photobioreactor for microalgal growth and bacterial wastewater treatment

A hollow fiber membrane photobioreactor (HFMP) for microalgal growth and bacterial wastewater treatment was developed. C. vulgaris culture was circulated through one side of the HFMP and P. putida culture was circulated through the other. A symbiotic relationship was demonstrated as reflected by the photo-autotrophic growth of C. vulgaris using CO2 provided by P. putida and biodegradation of 500mg/L glucose by P. putida utilizing photosynthetic O2 produced by C. vulgaris. Performance of the HFMP was significantly enhanced when the microalgal culture was circulated through the lumen side of the HFMP: the average percentage of glucose degraded per 8-h cycle was as high as 98% and microalgal biomass productivity was increased by 69% compared to the reversed orientation. Enhanced glucose biodegradation was achieved in an HFMP packed with more fibers indicating the easy scalability of the HFMP for increased wastewater treatment efficiency.

Exploiting Phosphate-Starved cells of Scenedesmus sp. for the Treatment of Raw Sewage

Phosphate depletion is one of the favorable ways to enhance the sewage water treatment with the algae, however, detailed information is essential with respect to internal phosphate concentration and physiology of the algae. The growth rate of the phosphate-starved Scenedesmus cells was reduced drastically after 48 h. Indicating cells entered in the stationary phase of the growth cycle. Fourier Transform Infrared analysis of phosphate-starved Scenedesmus cells showed the reduction in internal phosphate concentration and an increase in carbohydrate/phosphate and carbohydrate/lipid ratio. The phosphate-starved Scenedesmus cells, with an initial cell density of, 1 × 10⁶ cells mL^-1 shows 87% phosphate and 100 % nitrogen removal in 24 h. The normal Scenedesmus cells need approximately 48 h to trim down the nutrients from wastewater up to this extent. Other microalgae, Ankistrodesmus, growth pattern was not affected due to phosphate starvation. The cells of Ankistrodesmus was able to reduce 71% phosphate and 73% nitrogen within 24 h, with an initial cell density of, 1 × 10⁶ cells mL^-1.

Photosynthetic membrane-less microbial fuel cells to enhance microalgal biomass concentration

The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the net increase in microalgal biomass concentration induced by photosynthetic microbial fuel cells (PMFC). The experiment was conducted on six lab-scale PMFC constituted by an anodic chamber simulating an anaerobic digester connected to a cathodic chamber consisting of a mixed algae consortia culture. Three PMFC were operated at closed circuit (PMFC(+)) whereas three PMFC were left unconnected as control (PMFC(-)). PMFC(+) produced a higher amount of carbon dioxide as a product of the organic matter oxidation that resulted in 1.5-3 times higher biomass concentration at the cathode compartment when compared to PMFC(-).

Knowledge management in a waste based biorefinery in the QbD paradigm

Shifting resource base from fossil feedstock to renewable raw materials for production of chemical products has opened up an area of novel applications of industrial biotechnology-based process tools. This review aims to provide a concise and focused discussion on recent advances in knowledge management to facilitate efficient and optimal operation of a biorefinery. Application of quality by design (QbD) and process analytical technology (PAT) as tools for knowledge creation and management at different levels has been highlighted. Role of process integration, government policies, knowledge exchange through collaboration, and use of databases and computational tools have also been touched upon.

Strategy and design of Innovation Policy Road Mapping for a waste biorefinery

Looming energy crisis, climate change concerns coupled with decreasing fossil fuel resources has garnered significant global attention toward development of alternative, renewable, carbon-neutral and eco-friendly fuels to fulfil burgeoning energy demands. Waste utilization and its management are being pursued with renewed interest due to the gamut of biobased products it can offer apart from providing enough energy to meet a major fraction of the world's energy demand. Biorefining is the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products and energy. Integrating all components of waste treatment culminating into biobased products and energy recovery in a single integrated waste biorefinery is self sufficient, highly sustainable and is very beneficial. Designing systematic innovation policies are essential for development and commercialization of new technologies in this important futuristic research area. This communication explores Innovation Policy Road Mapping (IPRM) methodology available in the literature and applies it to design integrated waste biorefinery.

Microalgae consortia cultivation in dairy wastewater to improve the potential of nutrient removal and biodiesel feedstock production

The potential of microalgae consortia used in dairy wastewater treatment combined with microalgae biodiesel feedstock production was evaluated by comparing the nutrient removal of dairy wastewater, the growth of cells, and the lipid content and composition of biomass between monoalgae and microalgae consortia cultivation system. Our results showed that higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (maximum, 57.01-62.86 %) and total phosphorus (TP) removal (maximum, 91.16-95.96 %) were achieved in almost microalgae consortia cultivation system than those in Chlorella sp. monoalgae cultivation system (maximum, 44.76 and 86.74 %, respectively). In addition, microalgae consortia cultivation except the mixture of Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus spp. reached higher biomass concentration (5.11-5.41 g L(-1)), biomass productivity (730.4-773.2 mg L(-1) day(-1)), and lipid productivity (143.7-150.6 mg L(-1) day(-1)) than those of monoalgae cultivation (4.72 g L(-1), 674.3, and 142.2 mg L(-1) day(-1), respectively) on the seventh day. Furthermore, the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles indicated the lipids produced from microalgae consortia cultivation system were more suitable for biodiesel production. The microalgae consortia display superiority in dairy wastewater treatment and the getting feedstock for biodiesel production.

Exploiting the commons: cyclic diguanylate regulation of bacterial exopolysaccharide production

Nowadays, there is increasing interest for bacterial polysaccharides in a wide variety of industrial sectors. This is due to their chemical and reological properties, and also the possibility to be obtained by fermentation processes. Biosynthesis of a growing number of exopolysaccharides (EPS) has been reported to be regulated by the ubiquitous second messenger c-di-GMP in a limited number of bacterial species. Since most bacteria are yet unexplored, it is likely that an unsuspected number and variety of EPS structures activated by c-di-GMP await to be uncovered. In the search of new EPS, manipulation of bacterial c-di-GMP metabolism can be combined with high throughput approaches for screening of large collections of bacteria. In addition, c-di-GMP activation of EPS production and promotion of cell aggregation may have direct applications in environmental industries related with biofuel production or wastewater treatments.

Effect of static magnetic field on the oxygen production of Scenedesmus obliquus cultivated in municipal wastewater

Algal-bacterial symbiotic system, with biological synergism of physiological functions of both algae and bacteria, has been proposed for cultivation of microalgae in municipal wastewater for biomass production and wastewater treatment. The algal-bacterial symbiotic system can enhance dissolved oxygen production which enhances bacterial growth and catabolism of pollutants in wastewater. Therefore, the oxygen production efficiency of microalgae in algal-bacterial systems is considered as the key factor influencing the wastewater treatment efficiency. In the present study, we have proposed a novel approach which uses static magnetic field to enhance algal growth and oxygen production rate with low operational cost and non-toxic secondary pollution. The performance of oxygen production with the magnetic field was evaluated using Scenedesmus obliquus grown in municipal wastewater and was calculated based on the change in dissolved oxygen concentration. Results indicated that magnetic treatment stimulates both algal growth and oxygen production. Application of 1000 GS of magnetic field once at logarithmic growth phase for 0.5 h increased the chlorophyll-a content by 11.5% over the control after 6 days of growth. In addition, magnetization enhanced the oxygen production rate by 24.6% over the control. Results of the study confirmed that application of a proper magnetic field could reduce the energy consumption required for aeration during the degradation of organic matter in municipal wastewater in algal-bacterial symbiotic systems.

Challenges of metagenomics and single-cell genomics approaches for exploring cyanobacterial diversity

Cyanobacteria have played a crucial role in the history of early earth and continue to be instrumental in shaping our planet, yet applications of cutting edge technology have not yet been widely used to explore cyanobacterial diversity. To provide adequate background, we briefly review current sequencing technologies and their innovative uses in genomics and metagenomics. Next, we focus on current cell capture technologies and the challenges of using them with cyanobacteria. We illustrate the utility in coupling breakthroughs in DNA amplification with cell capture platforms, with an example of microfluidic isolation and subsequent targeted amplicon sequencing from individual terrestrial thermophilic cyanobacteria. Single cells of thermophilic, unicellular Synechococcus sp. JA-2-3-B'a(2-13) (Syn OS-B') were sorted in a microfluidic device, lysed, and subjected to whole genome amplification by multiple displacement amplification. We amplified regions from specific CRISPR spacer arrays, which are known to be highly diverse, contain semi-palindromic repeats which form secondary structure, and can be difficult to amplify. Cell capture, lysis, and genome amplification on a microfluidic device have been optimized, setting a stage for further investigations of individual cyanobacterial cells isolated directly from natural populations.

Accumulation of nanoparticles in "jellyfish" mucus: a bio-inspired route to decontamination of nano-waste

The economic and societal impacts of nano-materials are enormous. However, releasing such materials in the environment could be detrimental to human health and the ecological biosphere. Here we demonstrate that gold and quantum dots nanoparticles bio-accumulate into mucus materials coming from natural species such as jellyfish. One strategy that emerges from this finding would be to take advantage of these trapping properties to remove nanoparticles from contaminated water.

Characterization of nutrient removal and microalgal biomass production on an industrial waste-stream by application of the deceleration-stat technique

Industrial wastewaters can serve as a nutrient and water source for microalgal production. In this study the effluent of an internal circulation (IC) reactor anaerobically treating the wastes of a biotechnology production facility were chosen as the cultivation medium for Chlorella sorokiniana in batch and continuous cultures. The aim was to evaluate the rates of nutrient removal and biomass production possible at various dilution rates. The results demonstrate that the industrial wastewater served as a highly effective microalgae culture medium and that dilution rate strongly influenced algae productivity in a short light-path photobioreactor. Batch culture on undiluted wastewater showed biomass productivity of 1.33 g L(-1)day(-1), while removing over 99% of the ammonia and phosphate from the wastewater. Deceleration-stat (D-stat) experiments performed at high and low intensities of 2100 and 200 (μmol photon m(2)s(-1)) established the optimal dilution rates to reach volumetric productivity of 5.87 and 1.67 g L(-1)day(-1) respectively. The corresponding removal rates of nitrogen were 238 and 93 mg L(-1)day(-1) and 40 and 19 mg L(-1)day(-1) for phosphorous. The yield on photons at low light intensity was as high as had been observed in any previous report indicating that the waste stream allowed the algae to grow at its full potential.

Heterotrophic microalgae cultivation to synergize biodiesel production with waste remediation: progress and perspectives

Microalgae are inexhaustible feedstock for synthesis of biodiesel rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and valuable bioactive compounds. Their cultivation is critical in sustaining the global economy in terms of human consumption of food and fuel. When compared to autotrophic cultivation, heterotrophic systems are more suitable for producing high cell densities of microalgae for accumulation of large quantities of lipids (triacylglycerols) which can be converted into biodiesel. Consorted efforts are made in this communication to converge recent literature on heterotrophic cultivation systems with simultaneous wastewater treatment and algal oil production. Challenges faced during large scale production and limiting factors which hinder the microalgae growth are enumerated. A strategic deployment of integrated closed loop biorefinery concept with multi-product recovery is proposed to exploit the full potential of algal systems. Sustainable algae cultivation is essential to produce biofuels leading to green future.

Isolation and screening of heterocystous cyanobacterial strains for biodiesel production by evaluating the fuel properties from fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles

This study reports on the biodiesel quality parameters of eleven heterocystous cyanobacterial strains based on fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) profiles. The biomass productivity of the tested cyanobacterial strains ranged from 9.33 to 20.67 mg L(-1) d(-1) while the lipid productivity varied between 0.65 and 2.358 mg L(-1) d(-1). The highest biomass and lipid productivity was observed for Calothrix sp. MBDU 013 but its lipid content is only 11.221 in terms of percent dry weight, next to the Anabaena sphaerica MBDU 105, whose lipid content is high. To identify the most competent isolate, a multi-criteria decision analyses (MCDA) was performed by including the key chemical and physical parameters of biodiesel calculated from FAME profiles. The isolate A.sphaerica MBDU 105 is the most promising biodiesel feed stock based on decision vector through Preference Ranking Organisation Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) and Graphical Analysis for Interactive Assistance (GAIA) analysis.

A state of the art of metabolic networks of unicellular microalgae and cyanobacteria for biofuel production

The most promising and yet challenging application of microalgae and cyanobacteria is the production of renewable energy: biodiesel from microalgae triacylglycerols and bioethanol from cyanobacteria carbohydrates. A thorough understanding of microalgal and cyanobacterial metabolism is necessary to master and optimize biofuel production yields. To this end, systems biology and metabolic modeling have proven to be very efficient tools if supported by an accurate knowledge of the metabolic network. However, unlike heterotrophic microorganisms that utilize the same substrate for energy and as carbon source, microalgae and cyanobacteria require light for energy and inorganic carbon (CO2 or bicarbonate) as carbon source. This double specificity, together with the complex mechanisms of light capture, makes the representation of metabolic network nonstandard. Here, we review the existing metabolic networks of photoautotrophic microalgae and cyanobacteria. We highlight how these networks have been useful for gaining insight on photoautotrophic metabolism.

Engineering cyanobacteria as photosynthetic feedstock factories

Carbohydrate feedstocks are at the root of bioindustrial production and are needed in greater quantities than ever due to increased prioritization of renewable fuels with reduced carbon footprints. Cyanobacteria possess a number of features that make them well suited as an alternative feedstock crop in comparison to traditional terrestrial plant species. Recent advances in genetic engineering, as well as promising preliminary investigations of cyanobacteria in a number of distinct production regimes have illustrated the potential of these aquatic phototrophs as biosynthetic chassis. Further improvements in strain productivities and design, along with enhanced understanding of photosynthetic metabolism in cyanobacteria may pave the way to translate cyanobacterial theoretical potential into realized application.