Entrapment of Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV in cationic polymer/agar gels for hydrogen production in the presence of NH4+

Methods for the separation of hydraulic retention time and solids retention time in the application of photosynthetic microorganisms in photobioreactors: a review

Photosynthetic microorganisms have a wide range of biotechnical applications, through the application of their versatile metabolisms. However, their use in industry has been extremely limited to date, partially because of the additional complexities associated with their cultivation in comparison to other organisms. Strategies and developments in photobioreactors (PBRs) designed for their culture and applications are needed to drive the field forward. One particular area which bears examination is the use of strategies to separate solid- and hydraulic-residence times (SRT and HRT), to facilitate flow-through systems and continuous processing. The aim of this review is to discuss the various types of PBRs and methods which are currently demonstrated in the literature and industry, with a focus on the separation of HRT and SRT. The use of an efficient method of biomass retention in a PBR may be advantageous as it unlocks the option for continuous operation, which may improve efficiency, and improve economic feasibility of large-scale implementation of photosynthetic biocatalysts, especially where biomass is not the primary product. Due to the underexplored nature of the separation of HRT and SRT in reactors using photosynthetic microorganisms, limited literature is available regarding their performance, efficiencies, and potential issues. This review first introduces an overview into photosynthetic microorganisms cultivated and commonly exploited for use in biotechnological applications, with reference to bioreactor considerations specific to each organism. Following this, the existing technologies used for the separation of HRT and SRT in PBRs are explored. The respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed for each PBR design, which may inform an interested bioprocess engineer.

Transparent polyvinyl-alcohol cryogel as immobilisation matrix for continuous biohydrogen production by phototrophic bacteria

BACKGROUND

Phototrophic purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) have gained attention for their ability to produce a valuable clean energy source in the form biohydrogen via photofermentation of a wide variety of organic wastes. For maturation of these phototrophic bioprocesses towards commercial feasibility, development of suitable immobilisation materials is required to allow continuous production from a stable pool of catalytic biomass in which energy is not diverted towards biomass accumulation, and optimal hydrogen production rates are realised. Here, the application of transparent polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) cryogel beads to immobilisation of Rhodopseudomonas palustris for long-term hydrogen production is described. PVA cryogel properties are characterised and demonstrated to be well suited to the purpose of continuous photofermentation. Finally, analysis of the long-term biocompatibility of the material is illustrated.

RESULTS

The addition of glycerol co-solvent induces favourable light transmission properties in normally opaque PVA cryogels, especially well-suited to the near-infrared light requirements of PNSB. Material characterisation showed high mechanical resilience, low resistance to diffusion of substrates and high biocompatibility of the material and immobilisation process. The glycerol co-solvent in transparent cryogels offered additional benefit by reinforcing physical interactions to the extent that only a single freeze-thaw cycle was required to form durable cryogels, extending utility beyond only phototrophic bioprocesses. In contrast, conventional PVA cryogels require multiple cycles which compromise viability of entrapped organisms. Hydrogen production studies of immobilised Rhodopseudomonas palustris in batch photobioreactors showed higher specific hydrogen production rates which continued longer than planktonic cultures. Continuous cultivation yielded hydrogen production for at least 67 days from immobilised bacteria, demonstrating the suitability of PVA cryogel immobilisation for long-term phototrophic bioprocesses. Imaged organisms immobilised in cryogels showed a monolithic structure to PVA cryogels, and demonstrated a living, stable, photofermentative population after long-term immobilisation.

CONCLUSION

Transparent PVA cryogels offer ideal properties as an immobilisation matrix for phototrophic bacteria and present a low-cost photobioreactor technology for the further advancement of biohydrogen from waste as a sustainable energy source, as well as development of alternative photo-bioprocesses exploiting the unique capabilities of purple non-sulfur bacteria.

Efficient hydrogen production from acetate through isolated Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Photosynthetic bacteria produce hydrogen from lactate and acetate that are products of hydrogen producing bacteria in the dark. Thus, their coculture is a promising method for hydrogen production. However, the hydrogen production yield from acetate of Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV, which has been shown to possess the highest yield and hydrogen production rate, is low as compared to that from lactate. Photosynthetic bacteria that produce hydrogen from acetate as well as lactate were screened from lakes and swamps in the Tokyo and Chiba areas in Japan. Seventy-six strains of photosynthetic bacteria were obtained and the analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that they belong to R. sphaeroides. Among the isolated bacteria, R. sphaeroides HJ produced the highest amount of hydrogen from acetate and lactate. The HJ strain produced a 2300±93ml/L-broth of hydrogen from 75mM acetate consumed during for 120h of fermentation. The amount of hydrogen and the yield from acetate were 1.9 and 2.1 times higher, respectively, than those of R. sphaeroides RV. The amount and yield of hydrogen, produced by R. sphaeroides HJ from lactate were similar to those produced by R. sphaeroides RV. Since the amount and yield of produced hydrogen by the HJ strain were similar regardless of the substrate (acetate or lactate), its metabolic pathway could have a key to increasing hydrogen production from acetate.

Photofermentative hydrogen production from wastes

In many respects, hydrogen is an ideal biofuel. However, practical, sustainable means of its production are presently lacking. Here we review recent efforts to apply the capacity of photosynthetic bacteria to capture solar energy and use it to drive the nearly complete conversion of substrates to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This process, called photofermentation, has the potential capacity to use a variety of feedstocks, including the effluents of dark fermentations, leading to the development of various configurations of two-stage systems, or various industrial and agricultural waste streams rich in sugars or organic acids. The metabolic and enzymatic properties of this system are presented and the possible waste streams that might be successfully used are discussed. Recently, various immobilized systems have been developed and their advantages and disadvantages are examined.

Characteristics of a biofilm photobioreactor as applied to photo-hydrogen production

The application of a cell immobilization technique to a biofilm-based photobioreactor was developed to enhance its photo-hydrogen production rate and light conversion efficiency. Rhodopseudomonas palustris CQK 01 was initially attached to the surface of packed glass beads to form a biofilm in this experiment. Then, the biofilm photobioreactor (BPBR) was illuminated by light-emitting diodes with light wavelengths of 470, 590 and 630 nm and hydrogen was evolved with glucose being the sole carbon source. Under the illumination condition of 5000 lux illumination intensity and 590 nm wavelength, the BPBR showed good hydrogen production performance: the hydrogen production rate was 38.9 ml/l/h and light conversion efficiency was 56%, while the hydrogen yield was 0.2 mol H(2)/ mol glucose. Furthermore, results show that the highest hydrogen production rate and glucose removal rate were obtained when the glucose concentration is 0.12 M, the optimal pH 7 and optimal temperature of influent liquid 25 degrees C.

Anaerobic hydrogen production with an efficient carrier-induced granular sludge bed bioreactor

A novel bioreactor containing self-flocculated anaerobic granular sludge was developed for high-performance hydrogen production from sucrose-based synthetic wastewater. The reactor achieved an optimal volumetric hydrogen production rate of approximately 7.3 L/h/L (7,150 mmol/d/L) and a maximal hydrogen yield of 3.03 mol H2/mol sucrose when it was operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 0.5 h with an influent sucrose concentration of 20 g COD/L. The gas-phase hydrogen content and substrate conversion also exceeded 40 and 90%, respectively, under optimal conditions. Packing of a small quantity of carrier matrices on the bottom of the upflow reactor significantly stimulated sludge granulation that can be accomplished within 100 h. Among the four carriers examined, spherical activated carbon was the most effective inducer for granular sludge formation. The carrier-induced granular sludge bed (CIGSB) bioreactor was started up with a low HRT of 4-8 h (corresponding to an organic loading rate of 2.5-5 g COD/h/L) and enabled stable operations at an extremely low HRT (up to 0.5 h) without washout of biomass. The granular sludge was rapidly formed in CIGSB supported with activated carbon and reached a maximal concentration of 26 g/L at HRT = 0.5 h. The ability to maintain high biomass concentration at low HRT (i.e., high organic loading rate) highlights the key factor for the remarkable hydrogen production efficiency of the CIGSB processes.