Biopolymers made from methane in bioreactors

Chidambarampadmavathy, Karthigeyan, Obulisamy, Kartik P., and Heimann, Kirsten (2015) Biopolymers made from methane in bioreactors. Engineering in Life Sciences, 15 (7). pp. 689-699.

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View at Publisher Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/elsc.201400203
 
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Abstract

Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) and mitigation is important to reduce the global warming impacts. In this study, we aimed to convert CH4 to polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB; a biopolymer) by enrichment of methanotrophic consortia in bioreactors. Two different methanotrophic consortia were established form landfill top-cover (landfill biomass [LB]) and compost soils (compost biomass [CB]), through cultivation under CH4:CO2:air (30:10:60) in batch systems. The established cultures were then used as inoculi (0.5 g LB or CB.L-1) in continuous stirred tank reactors aerated with CH4:CO2:air at 0.25 L.min-1. Under stable CSTRs operating conditions, the effect of spiking with 1:1 copper:iron (final concentrations of 5μM) was tested. Methane oxidation capacity (MOC), biomass dry-weight (DWbiomass), PHB and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) contents were used as effect parameters. A maximum MOC of 481.9±8.9 and 279.6±11.3 mg CH4.g-1 DWbiomass.h-1 was recorded in LB-CSTR and CB-CSTR, respectively, but PHB production was similar for both systems i.e., 37.7 mg.g-1 DWbiomass. Treatment with copper and iron improved PHB production (22.5 % of DWbiomass) in LB-CSTR, but a reduction of 13.6 % was observed in CB-CSTR. The results indicated that CH4 to PHB conversion is feasible using LB-CSTRs and addition of copper and iron is beneficial.

Item ID: 39176
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1618-2863
Keywords: methanotrophs, bioreactor, polyhydroxyalkaonate, copper, iron
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A version of this publication was included as Chapter 4 of the following PhD thesis: Chidambaram Padmavathy, Karthigeyan (2017) Response of methanotroph-heterotroph consortia to different environmental factors. PhD thesis, James Cook University, which is available Open Access in ResearchOnline@JCU. Please see the Related URLs for access.

Funders: Advanced Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC)
Projects and Grants: AMCRC 2.3.4
Date Deposited: 29 Jun 2015 00:11
FoR Codes: 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0605 Microbiology > 060503 Microbial Genetics @ 20%
10 TECHNOLOGY > 1002 Environmental Biotechnology > 100203 Bioremediation @ 40%
10 TECHNOLOGY > 1003 Industrial Biotechnology > 100302 Bioprocessing, Bioproduction and Bioproducts @ 40%
SEO Codes: 82 PLANT PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 8298 Environmentally Sustainable Plant Production > 829804 Management of Solid Waste from Plant Production @ 20%
82 PLANT PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 8298 Environmentally Sustainable Plant Production > 829802 Management of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Plant Production @ 60%
85 ENERGY > 8505 Renewable Energy > 850501 Biofuel (Biomass) Energy @ 20%
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