Enhanced biohydrogen production from macroalgae by zero-valent iron nanoparticles: Insights into microbial and metabolites distribution

Spatial distribution and assembly processes of bacterial communities in riverine and coastal ecosystems of a rapidly urbanizing megacity in China

Rapid urbanization has precipitated significant anthropogenic pollution (nutrients and pathogens) in urban rivers and their receiving systems, which consequentially disrupted the compositions and assembly of bacterial community within these ecosystems. However, there remains scarce information regarding the composition and assembly of both planktonic and benthic bacterial communities as well as pathogen distribution in such environments. In this study, full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing was conducted to investigate the bacterial community composition, interactions, and assembly processes as well as the distribution of potential pathogens along a riverine-coastal continuum in Shenzhen megacity, China. The results indicated that both riverine and coastal bacterial communities were predominantly composed of Gammaproteobacteria (24.8 ± 12.6 %), Alphaproteobacteria (16.1 ± 9.8 %), and Bacteroidota (14.3 ± 8.6 %), while sedimentary bacterial communities exhibited significantly higher diversity compared to their planktonic counterparts. Bacterial community patterns exhibited significant divergences across different habitats, and a significant distance-decay relationship of bacterial community similarity was particularly observed within the urban river ecosystem. Moreover, the urban river ecosystem displayed a more complex bacterial co-occurrence network than the coastal ecosystem, and a low ratio of negative:positive cohesion suggested the inherent instability of these networks. Homogeneous selection and dispersal limitation emerged as the predominant influences on planktonic and sedimentary bacterial communities, respectively. Pathogenic genera such as Vibrio, Bacteroides, and Acinetobacter, known for their roles in foodborne diseases or wound infection, were also identified. Collectively, these findings provided critical insights into bacterial community dynamics and their implications for ecosystem management and pathogen risk control in riverine and coastal environments impacted by rapid urbanization.

Application of nanoparticles to increase biological hydrogen production: the difference in metabolic pathways in batch and continuous reactors

An alternative to improve the production of biorefinery products, such as biohydrogen (H2) and volatile fatty acids (VFA), is the combination of nanotechnology and biological processes. In order to compare the use of both processes in two different reactor configurations, batch reactors and continuous anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBR) were studied under the same conditions (37°C, pH 6.8, Clostridium butyricum as an inoculum and glucose as a substrate) to evaluate the influence of zero valence iron and nickel nanoparticles (NPs) on H2 and VFA production. There was a shift in the production of acetic and butyric acids to produce mainly valeric acid when NPs were added in batch reactors. Meanwhile, in AFBR the change was from lactic acid to butyric and acetic acids with the addition of NPs. It showed that the effect of NPs on the fermentation process was different when the configuration of batch and continuous reactors was compared. The H2 yield in both reactor configurations increased with the addition of NPs. In batch reactors from 6.6 to 8.0 mmol H2 g-1 of COD and in AFBR from 4.9 to 6.2 mmol of H2 g-1 of COD. Therefore, given the simplicity and low cost of the synthesis of metallic NPs, it is a promising additive to optimize the fermentation process in different reactor configurations.

Utilization of plant-derived wastes as the potential biohydrogen source: a sustainable strategy for waste management

The sustainable economy has shown a renewed interest in acquiring access to the resources required to promote innovative practices that favor recycling and the reuse of existing, unconsidered things over newly produced ones. The production of biohydrogen through dark anaerobic fermentation of organic wastes is one of the intriguing possibilities for replacing fossil-based fuels through the circular economy. At present, plant-derived waste from the agro-based industry is the main global concern. When these wastes are improperly disposed of in landfills, they become the habitat for several pathogens. Additionally, it contaminates surface water as a result of runoff, and the leachate that is created from the waste enters groundwater and degrades its quality. However, cellulose and hemicellulose-rich plant wastes from agriculture fields and agro-based industries have been employed as the most efficient feedstock since carbohydrates are the primary substrate for the synthesis of biohydrogen. To produce biohydrogen from plant-derived wastes on a large scale, it is necessary to explore comprehensive knowledge of lab-scale parameters and pretreatment strategies. This paper summarizes the problems associated with the improper management of plant-derived wastes and discusses the recent developments in dark fermentation and substrate pretreatment techniques with the goal of gaining significant insight into the biohydrogen production process. It also highlights the utilization of anaerobic digestate, which is left over after biohydrogen gas as feedstock for the development of value-added products such as volatile fatty acids (VFA), biochar, and biofertilizer.

Improved sequential production of hydrogen and caproate by addition of biochar prepared from cornstalk residues

This study proposes a new model in which ethanol and acetate produced by dark fermentation are processed by Clostridium kluyveri for chain elongation to produce caproate with an addition of biochar prepared from cornstalk residues after acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis (AERBC) in the dark fermentation and chain elongation processes. The results show a 6-25% increase in hydrogen production in dark fermentation with adding AERBC, and the maximum concentration of caproate in the new model reached 1740 mg/L, 61% higher than that in the control group. In addition, caproate was obtained by dark fermentation, using liquid metabolites as substrates with an initial pH range of 6.5-7.5. Finally, the electron balance and electron transfer efficiency in the new model were analyzed, and the role of AERBC in dark fermentation and chain elongation was investigated. This study provides a new reference for the use of dark-fermented liquid metabolites and cornstalk residue.

Effect of zero-valent iron nanoparticles on taxonomic composition and hydrogen production from kitchen waste

This study investigated the effects of varying zero-valent iron (ZVI) (0 to 5,000 mg/L) on fermentative hydrogen (H2) production, metabolic pattern, and taxonomic profile by using kitchen waste as substrate. The study demonstrated that the supplementation of 500 mg ZVI/L resulted in the highest H2 yield (219.68 ± 11.19 mL H2/g-volatile solids (VS)added), which was 19% higher than the control. The metabolic pattern analysis showed that acetic and butyric acid production primarily drove the H2 production. The taxonomic analysis further revealed that Firmicutes (relative abundance (RA): 80-96%) and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 (RA: 68-88%) were the dominant phyla and genera, respectively, during the exponential gas production phase, supporting the observation of accumulation of acetic and butyric acids. These findings suggest that supplementation of ZVI can enhance H2 production from organic waste and significantly influence the metabolic pattern and taxonomic profile, including the metalloenzymes.

Mathematical modeling of dark fermentative hydrogen and soluble by-products generations from water hyacinth

The production of hydrogen and soluble metabolite products from water hyacinth via dark fermentation was modeled. The model was built on the assumption that the substrate exists in two forms (i.e., soluble and particulate) and undergoes two stages (i.e., hydrolysis and acidogenesis) in the dark fermentation process. The modified Michaelis-Menten and surface-limiting models were applied to describe the hydrolysis of soluble and particulate forms, respectively. Meanwhile, the acidogenesis stage was modeled based on the multi-substrate-single-biomass model. The effects of temperature, pH, and substrate concentration were integrated into the model to increase flexibility. As a result, the model prediction agreed with the experimental and literature data of water hyacinth-fed dark fermentation, with high coefficient of determination values of 0.92 - 0.97 for hydrogen and total soluble metabolite products. These results indicate that the proposed model could be further applied to dark fermentation's downstream and hybrid processes using water hyacinth and other substrates.

The modified properties of sludge-based biochar with ferric sulfate and its effectiveness in promoting carbon release from particulate organic matter in rural household wastewater

The scarcity of carbon sources presents a significant challenge for the bio-treatment of rural domestic wastewater (RDW). This paper presented an innovative approach to address this issue by investigating the supplementary carbon source through in-situ degradation of particulate organic matter (POM) facilitated by ferric sulfate modified sludge-based biochar (SBC). To prepare SBC, five different contents of ferric sulfate (0%, 10%, 20%, 25%, and 33.3%) were added to sewage sludge. The results revealed that the pore and surface of SBC were enhanced, providing active sites and functional groups to accelerate the biodegradation of protein and polysaccharide. During the 8-day hydrolysis period, the concentration of soluble chemical oxidation demand (SCOD) increased and peaked (1087-1156 mg L^-1) on the fourth day. The C/N ratio increased from 3.50 (control) to 5.39 (25% ferric sulfate). POM was degraded the five dominant phyla, which were Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, Synergistota, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Although the relative abundance of dominant phyla changed, the metabolic pathway remained unchanged. The leachate of SBC (<20% ferric sulfate) was beneficial for microbes, but an excessive amount of ferric sulfate (33.3% ferric sulfate) could have inhibition effects on bacteria. In conclusion, ferric sulfate modified SBC holds the potential for the carbon degradation of POM in RDW, and further improvements should be made in future studies.

Effect of Fe0 particle size on buffering characteristics and biohydrogen production in high-load photo fermentation system of corn stover

The aim of this work was to study the effects of Fe0 particle sizes (700 nm, 100 nm and 50 nm) addition on biohydrogen production, liquid culture characteristics and photosynthetic bacterial respond in the high-load photo fermentation system of corn stover within the concentration range of 200-1500 mg/L. Results showed that Fe0 with particle size of 700 nm had a better promotion effect on hydrogen production than 100 nm and 50 nm. The highest hydrogen yield of 74.32 ± 3.48 mL/g TS and hydrogen production rate of 3.31 ± 0.11 mL/g·h TS corn stover were obtained at 1000 and 1500 mg/L Fe0-700 nm, which were significantly increased by 92.88 % and 133.88 % compared with the control group. Further analysis indicated that Fe0 addition effectively alleviated pH drop, enhanced nitrogenase activity, promoted cell growth, and accelerated the consumption of acetic acid and butyric acid.

Effect of biochar derived from biogas residue on methane production during dry anaerobic fermentation of kitchen waste

Kitchen wastes (KW) dramatically increasing with population and economy enhancing, and dry anaerobic fermentation was used to treat it. However, the large amount of biogas residue severely restricted the application of dry anaerobic fermentation, because the high total solid might lead to the system failure. Therefore, it is urgent to find appropriate way to improve the efficiency of dry anaerobic fermentation and reduce the great amount of biogas residue. In this study, a tentative experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of biochar prepared from biogas residue on the performance of dry anaerobic fermentation system. The results showed that almost half of the biogas residue was reduced and converted into biochar. At the presence of biochar, methane yield was 308.6 mL/gVS, which was 10.5% higher than that of control. Compared to the system without biochar, the highest volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration was 19.3% higher and the percentage of acetate and valerate was 25.3％ and 12.8％, while it was 16.3% and 22.0% in the control, suggesting that biochar accelerated the degradation of VFA. Bacteria community diversity increased, Fastidiosipila and Proteiniphilum enriched at the presence of biochar, which might accelerate the hydrolysis and acidification of KW. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens was dominated and syntrophic acetate oxidation was the primary pathway to produce methane. This study developed a new recycle route for improving the efficiency of dry anaerobic fermentation while reducing the large amount of biogas residue generated from dry anaerobic fermentation.

Medium-chain carboxylates production by co-fermentation of sewage sludge and macroalgae

The co-fermentation of sewage sludge and macroalgae at different mixing ratios was performed for medium-chain carboxylates (MCCs) production. The results showed that MCCs production was enhanced in co-fermentation groups due to the abundant readily available organics supplied by macroalgae and the alkaline buffer capacity provided by sewage sludge. Highest MCCs concentration of 112.7 mmol C/L (25.5 mmol C/g VS_added) was obtained in the co-fermentation group with sludge/macroalgae ratio of 4:6, which was higher than MCCs produced from the mono-fermentation of sewage sludge (41.7 mmol C/L, 9.4 mmol C/g VS_added) or macroalgae (79.9 mmol C/L, 18.1 mmol C/g VS_added). Microbial analysis showed that species from genus Romboutsia, Terrisporobacter, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12, Paraclostridium, unclassified_f_Peptostreptococcaceae and Caproiciproducens were significantly positively correlated with MCCs production. Metabolic pathways analysis demonstrated that the co-fermentation promoted the chain elongation process by stimulating the rate-limiting steps involved in the conversion of ethanol to Acetyl-CoA and circular fatty acid biosynthesis pathway.

A review on biological recycling in agricultural waste-based biohydrogen production: Recent developments

Hydrogen has become a research highlight by virtue of its clean energy production technology and high energy content. The technology of biohydrogen production from biological waste via fermentation has lower costs, provides environment-friendly methods regarding energy balance, and creates a pathway for sustainable utilization of massive agricultural waste. However, biohydrogen production is generally limited by lower productivity. Many studies have been conducted aimed at improving biohydrogen production efficiency. Hence, this review is intended to describe improving routes for biohydrogen production from agricultural waste and highlights recent advances in these approaches. In addition, the critical factors affecting biohydrogen production, including the pretreatment method, substrate resource, fermentation conditions, and bioreactor design, were also comprehensively discussed along with challenges and future prospects.

Enhanced antibiotic degradation and hydrogen production of deacetoxycephalosporin C fermentation residue by gamma radiation coupled with nano zero-valent iron

Antibiotic fermentation residue (AFR) has been categorized as hazardous waste in China. Anaerobic biohydrogen fermentation may be a promising technology for handling AFR, which could achieve dual goals of waste treatment and clean energy production at the same time. However, the low hydrogen yield and low removal efficiency of residual antibiotics are two major factors limiting the AFR biohydrogen fermentation process. This work firstly applied gamma radiation (50 kGy) to remove the residual antibiotic in AFR and improve the bioavailability of organic matters, then adding nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) (100-1000 mg/L) to further enhance the AFR biohydrogen fermentation performance. Results showed that residual deacetoxycephalosporin C in AFR was removed with a high efficiency of 98.6%, and hydrogen yield achieved 20.45 mL/g-VS_added with the combined approach of gamma radiation pretreatment and 500 mg/L nZVI addition, which was 139.2% higher compared to the control experimental result. The combined approach also promoted the biohydrogen production rate, decreased the lag phase of hydrogen production, and increased the organics utilization. Microbiological analysis revealed that highly efficient hydrogen-producing genera Clostridium sensu stricto were enriched in much higher abundance with the combined approach, which might be the fundamental mechanism for the enhanced AFR fermentation performance.

Labile carbon feedstocks trigger a priming effect in anaerobic digestion: An insight into microbial mechanisms

The mechanisms underlying the advanced performance in anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) are crucial but remain elusive. This study conducted AcoD of swine manure, rice straw and apple waste (AW, mainly consisting of labile carbon) or fructose (a pure labile carbon), and monitored microbial community abundances, activities and transcriptional profiles in the digestate and on straw. The transformation efficiencies of manure (not straw) to CH₄ were promoted in AcoD co-fed manure and AW (by 39 ± 13%) or fructose (by 65 ± 14%), compared to the control mono-fed manure, implying labile carbon could trigger a priming effect underlying AcoD advantage. Although digestate-associated and straw-associated communities existed in a same bioreactor, the priming effect mainly linked to the former and was attributed to enhancements in deterministic turnover of active communities, in activities of Firmicutes taxa involved in substrate hydrolysis, and in acetoclastic methanogenesis. These findings provide novel insights to elaborate AcoD processes.

Biological production of medium-chain carboxylates through chain elongation: An overview

Medium chain carboxylates (MCCs) have wide applications in various industries, but the traditional MCCs production methods are costly and unsustainable. Anaerobic fermentation offers a more scalable, economical and eco-friendly platform for producing MCCs through chain elongation which converts short chain carboxylates and electron donor into more valuable MCCs. However, the underlying microbial pathways are not well understood. In this review, biological production of MCCs through chain elongation is introduced elaborately, including the metabolic pathways, electron donor and substrates, microorganisms and influencing factors. Then, the strategies for enhancing MCCs production are extensively analyzed and summarized, along with the technologies for MCCs separation from the fermentation broth. Finally, challenges and perspectives concerning the large-scale MCCs production are proposed, providing suggestions for the future research. Extensive review demonstrated that anaerobic fermentation has great potential in achieving economical and sustainable MCCs production from complex organic substrates, including organic waste streams, which would significantly broaden the application of MCCs, especially in the renewable energy field. An interdisciplinary approach with knowledge from microbiology and biochemistry to chemical separations and environmental engineering is required to use this promising technology as a valorization method for converting organic biomass or organic wastes into valuable MCCs.

Co-fermentation of residual algal biomass and glucose under the influence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles to enhance biohydrogen production under dark mode

The present study reports Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) induced enhanced hydrogen production via co-fermentation of glucose and residual algal biomass (cyanobacteria Lyngbya limnetica). A significant enhancement of dark fermentative H₂ production has been noticed under the influence of co-fermentation of glucose and residual algal biomass using Fe₃O₄ NPs as catalyst. Further, using the optimized ratio of glucose to residual algal biomass (10:4), ∼ 37.14 % higher cumulative H₂ has been recorded in presence of 7.5 mg/L Fe₃O₄ NPs as compared to control at 37 °C. In addition, under the optimum conditions [glucose to residual algal biomass ratio (10:4)] presence of 7.5 mg/L Fe₃O₄ NPs produces ∼ 937 mL/L cumulative H₂ in 168 h at pH 7.5 and at temperature 40 °C. Clostridum butyrium, employed for the dark fermentation yielded ∼ 7.7 g/L dry biomass in 168 h whereas acetate (9.0 g/L) and butyrate (6.2 g/L) have been recorded as the dominating metabolites.

Effects of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature of biochar on promoting hydrogen production of ethanol-type fermentation

Biochar has been shown to benefit fermentative hydrogen production. However, the influencing factors and key characteristics of its promoting function remained to be elucidated. This study investigated the effects of two crucial factors, feedstock and pyrolysis temperature, on the hydrogen production-promoting function of biochar in ethanol-type fermentation. The physicochemical characteristics and promoting effects of biochars prepared with five biomass wastes (coffee ground, corn stalk, Ginkgo biloba leaf, mealworm frass, and sugarcane bagasse) were determined. Sugarcane bagasse-derived biochar (SBBC) showed the best hydrogen production-promoting effect in ethanol-type fermentation. The physicochemical properties of biochar, such as pH, element composition and surface features, were significantly affected by pyrolysis temperature, but the promoting effects were not significantly changed. The hydrogen production-promoting effect of biochar in ethanol-type fermentation was mainly affected by feedstock instead of pyrolysis temperature. A potential promoting mechanism was proposed that biochar prepared at low temperature boosted the hydrogen production with redox activity, while that at high temperature achieved the promotion via cell growth enhancement. This study revealed the key promoting factor of biochar in ethanol-type fermentative hydrogen production, and provided novel insights for the promoting mechanism of biochar.

Tolerance of photo-fermentative biohydrogen production system amended with biochar and nanoscale zero-valent iron to acidic environment

Anaerobic fermentation system is easy to become acidic due to the generation of small molecular acids, which will affect the metabolism of bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the acid resistance of system. In this work, the tolerance of photo-fermentative biohydrogen production system amended with biochar, nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) and biochar + nZVI to acidic environment was studied. Results showed that additives improved the stability and performance of the photo fermentation. The best increment of biohydrogen from 0 to 286.83 ± 2.77 mL was obtained by adding biochar and nZVI together at the original pH of 4.5. The additive reduced the oxidation-reduction potential and promoted the consumption of acetate and butyrate. At initial pH of 5, 6 and 7, the highest biohydrogen yield of 361.02 ± 10.11, 419.36 ± 10.70 and 382.67 ± 25.08 mL was obtained by adding nZVI, respectively, representing 42%-44.45% increase compared with the control group under the same conditions.

Oyster shells improve anaerobic dark fermentation performances of food waste: Hydrogen production, acidification performances, and microbial community characteristics

Anaerobic dark fermentation (DF) performances of food waste (FW) were investigated using oyster shells. The different amount oyster shells(6%-12%(w/w)) were added to the DF system of FW. The result showed that the H₂ production rate and cumulative H₂ production improved after addition oyster shells. The highest H₂ production rate and cumulative H₂ production of 8% oyster shells addition group were 8.4 mL/(gVS·h) and 88.2 mL/gVS, which were 11.7%-30.6% and 17.4%-52.9% higher than those of the other test groups. TVFAs production, especially acetic and butyric acids improved after addition oyster shells. The highest TVFAs production was 19291.4 mg/L for 8% oyster shells added group, which was 90.24% higher than that of the unadded group. For 8% oyster shells added group, Lactobacillales, Gallicola, and Bacteroides were the dominant species at genus levels. Thus, the addition of an appropriate amount oyster shells could improve H₂ production rate, cumulative H₂ production, promote buffering capacity, enhance TVFAs production.

Mechanisms of enhanced hydrogen production from sewage sludge by ferrous ion: Insights into functional genes and metabolic pathways

Hydrogen production from sewage sludge was studied in the presence of Fe²⁺. The results showed that the highest cumulative hydrogen production of 26 mL/100 mL was achieved with 600 mg/L Fe²⁺ supplementation, which was 2 times of the control test. In depth analysis of organics in liquid phase revealed that Fe²⁺ addition promoted sludge disintegration and protein degradation during fermentation process. Functions prediction by PICRUSt analysis indicated the effect of Fe²⁺ on microbial metabolism and functional genes expression. The results showed that the expression of hydrogen-producing functions, like ferredoxin hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase was activated by Fe²⁺ supplementation, while the hydrogen-consuming metabolism, like methane metabolism and homoacetogenic metabolism was inhibited. Furthermore, Fe²⁺ addition could stimulate organics utilization. This study explored the effect of Fe²⁺ on functional genes abundance, revealing the mechanisms of enhanced hydrogen production by Fe²⁺ from the perspective of microbial metabolism.

Short chain carboxylic acids production and dynamicity of microbial communities from co-digestion of swine manure and corn silage

Short chain carboxylic acids (SCCAs) have attracted much attention due to their wide application and benefit of high economy. This study investigated the influence of organic load rates (OLRs) on short-chain carboxylic acids (SCCAs) production and microbial communities for co-digestion of swine manure (SM) and corn silage (CS) during four different OLRs stages in a semi-continuous mode. The results showed that relatively stable SCCAs concentration of 10.5-13.6 g COD/L and SCCAs yield of 0.42 mg COD/mg VS was achieved at OLR of 3.0 g VS/L·d. The maximum concentration of 19.1 g COD/L was achieved at 3.5 g VS/L·d. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (include acetic, n-butyric and caproic acids) accounted for approximately 80% of SCCAs. Hydrolysis bacteria (HB) including Clostridium, Terriporobacter, Intestinibacter, and Turiibacter decreased with the increase of OLR, while acidogenic bacteria (AB) including Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, Aeriscardovia, and Pseudomonas increased, resulting in insufficient degradation of CS.

Effect of viscosity on process stability and microbial community composition during anaerobic mesophilic digestion of Maotai-flavored distiller's grains

To investigate the effects of viscosity on the mesophilic digestion of Maotai-flavored distiller's grains, a continuous experiment was conducted in a 70 L reactor at organic loading rates of 3, 4, 5, and 6 g VS/(L·d) with and without effluent recirculation. High organic loading rates and continuous effluent recirculation increased the digestate viscosity, and high viscosity caused severe foaming, which blocked the biogas outlet pipe. Moreover, a viscosity above 782 mPa·s was proposed as an early warning indicator for foaming. A maximum volumetric biogas production rate of 1.72 L/(L·d) was accomplished by diluting the feed without effluent recirculation at a recommended organic loading rate of 5 g VS/(L·d). Proteiniphilum, Ruminococcus_2, norank_f_Synergistaceae, norank_o__DTU014, Syntrophomonas, Methanosarcina, Methanobacterium, and Methanosaeta were the dominant acidogens, syntrophic bacteria, and methanogens existed in both low and high viscosity groups. Candidatus_Methanofastidiosum capable of employing the methylated thiol reduction pathway was found only in the high viscosity system.

State of the art and challenges of biohydrogen from microalgae

Biohydrogen from microalgae has attracted extensive attention owing to its promising features of abundance, renewable and self sustainability. Unlike other well-established biofuels like biodiesel and bioethanol, biohydrogen from microalgae is still in the preliminary stage of development. Criticisms in microalgal biohydrogen centered on its practicality and sustainability. Various laboratory- and pilot-scale microalgal systems have been developed, and some research initiatives have exhibited potential for commercial application. This work provides a review of the state of the art of biohydrogen from microalgae. Discussions include metabolic pathways of light-driven transformation and dark fermentation, reactor schemes and system designs encompassing reactor configurations and light manipulation. Challenges, knowledge gaps and the future directions in metabolic limitations, economic and energy assessments, and molecular engineering are also delineated. Current scientific and engineering challenges of microalgal biohydrogen need to be addressed for technology leapfrog or breakthrough.

Enhanced co-production of biohydrogen and algal lipids from agricultural biomass residues in long-term operation

This study evaluates a two-stage process by dark fermentation and microalgal cultivation for hydrogen and lipid production from different agricultural biomass residues, such as corn cob, corn stalk, rice straw and wheat straw. Results indicate that corn stalk was the best fermentation feedstock for hydrogen production and the highest accumulative hydrogen volume of 762.3 mL L^-1 was obtained in batch mode. Dark fermentative effluent from corn stalk was rich in acetate and butyrate, and was favorable to lipid production. The maximum algal biomass and total lipid content reached 1461.1 mg L^-1 and 35.2%, respectively. Meanwhile, the energy conversion efficiency in two-stage cultivation significantly increased from 5.78% to 16.96%. The system was stable and effective in long-term operation, and the average hydrogen production rate of 811.1 mL L^-1 d^-1 and lipid concentration of 588.5 mg L^-1 were achieved. This study provides a promising process for enhancing energy production from agricultural wastes.