Article
Engineering, Environmental
Daniel G. Beach, Meghann Bruce, Janice Lawrence, Pearse McCarron
Summary: Toxic benthic cyanobacterial mats, which produce potent neurotoxins called anatoxin-a (ATX) and its analogues, have been increasingly reported worldwide as responsible for animal mortalities. This study presents a new method for analyzing anatoxins in cyanobacterial field samples using direct analysis in real-time-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS/MS).
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Tetyana Kyrpel, Vita Saska, Anne de Poulpiquet, Mathieu Luglia, Audrey Soric, Magali Roger, Oksana Tananaiko, Marie Therese Giudici-Orticoni, Elisabeth Lojou, Ievgen Mazurenko
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of an electrochemical sensor based on carbon nanomaterials and the hydrogenase enzyme from Aquifex aeolicus for H2 detection. The sensor shows a noticeable current at room temperature and low protein concentration. It also demonstrates low sensitivity to CO2 and H2S as co-products of the bioreactor and can measure H2 produced in the bioreactor in real-time.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Mamata Singhvi, Anoth Maharjan, Ajay Thapa, Hang-Bae Jun, Beom Soo Kim
Summary: In this study, starch-based potato peel waste biomass was utilized for hydrogen production, showing a significant increase in hydrogen yields with the addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and L-cysteine during dark fermentation. The correlation between Fe3O4 and hydrogenase activity was explored, elucidating the possible mechanisms behind enhanced hydrogen production from potato peel waste biomass.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael Krings
Summary: Microbial mats from the aquatic facies of the Lower Devonian Rhynie and Windyfield cherts contain new features such as entwined filament bundles and knot structures, suggesting potential internal invasion by different organisms or continued activity of C. venusta. This discovery supports the idea that microbial mats were complex communities in the Rhynie paleoecosystem.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Cecilio Valadez-Cano, Adrian Reyes-Prieto, Daniel G. Beach, Cheryl Rafuse, Pearse McCarron, Janice Lawrence
Summary: The presence of toxigenic benthic cyanobacteria in riverine ecosystems is a global concern. In 2018, the death of three dogs in Canada was linked to anatoxin exposure from benthic microbial mats. DNA sequencing of cyanobacterial isolates from the mat samples revealed that some produced anatoxins while others did not. Genomic comparisons showed that toxigenic and non-toxigenic Microcoleus subspecies coexisted with differences in the presence/absence of the anatoxin-a biosynthesis cluster.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Karen Trchounian, Heghine Gevorgyan, Gary Sawers, Armen Trchounian
Summary: The study examined the impact of four membrane-bound [NiFe]-hydrogenases of Escherichia coli on total H-2-oxidizing activity during fermentation with a mixture of glucose, glycerol, and formate at different pHs. The findings indicated that different hydrogenases played varying roles at different pH levels and stages of fermentation. Formate was emphasized as an important factor in modulating H-2 metabolism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Siran Feng, Huu Hao Ngo, Wenshan Guo, Soon Woong Chang, Dinh Duc Nguyen, Yi Liu, Xinbo Zhang, Xuan Thanh Bui, Sunita Varjani, Bich Ngoc Hoang
Summary: This review provides an insightful exploration of enzymes in wastewater-based biohydrogen fermentation, including their roles, enzymatic processes, parameters affecting enzymatic performances, bioreactors, and larger scale applications. It also addresses existing problems and feasible future studies on low-cost enzyme production methods, the construction of multiple enzyme cooperation systems, biohydrogen production mechanisms, effective bioreactor exploration, larger scale enzymatic biohydrogen production, and the enhancement of enzyme activity or ability.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mojtaba Aghajani Delavar, Junye Wang
Summary: This study developed a sophisticated model to investigate dark fermentative biohydrogen production in dynamic membrane bioreactors. The results showed that the porous structure and inlet velocity in the dynamic membrane significantly affect biohydrogen extraction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Nirpesh Dhakal, Bishnu Acharya
Summary: Syngas fermentation offers potential for producing biofuels and bioplastics from microbial fermentation, with a wide range of feedstock options and sustainability. Utilizing various microbial strains and pathways, diverse products can be produced, but factors like techno-economics, syngas impurities may impact the overall process.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hong Chen, Jun Wu, Rong Huang, Wenzhe Zhang, Weining He, Zhengyu Deng, Yunping Han, Benyi Xiao, Hongmei Luo, Wei Qu
Summary: The study found that biohydrogen production was higher in the thermophilic dark fermentation (TDF) compared to the mesophilic dark fermentation (MDF), with the highest yield at TS = 6%. The fermentation liquids in TDF had higher pH, NH4+-N, and total volatile fatty acids than those in MDF, indicating differences in microbial activity. Lactic acid-producing bacteria were found to be abundant at low TS content, while the highest biohydrogen production was associated with the highest abundance of hydrolytic bacteria at TS = 6%.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Octavio Garcia-Depraect, Vanessa Mena-Navarro, Raul Munoz, Eldon R. Rene, Elizabeth Leon-Becerril
Summary: This study evaluated the performance and microbial community structure of a dark fermentation process using tequila vinasse as a substrate. It found that the addition of external nutrients significantly influenced hydrogen production, and maintaining a suitable C/N ratio was crucial for the balance and syntrophy between lactic acid bacteria and bioH(2) producers. The biohythane process resulted in higher bioenergy recovery compared to single-stage anaerobic digestion.
Article
Microbiology
Mira Mutschlechner, Nina Lackner, Rudolf Markt, Willi Salvenmoser, Christopher A. Dunlap, Andreas O. Wagner
Summary: A novel anaerobic bacterium, Thermoactinomyces mirandus, was isolated from a biogas plant in Austria. It exhibited unique growth conditions and genetic characteristics, representing a new species within the Thermoactinomyces genus.
ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Tamirat Redae Gebreslassie, Phan Khanh Thinh Nguyen, Hyon Hee Yoon, Jihyeon Kim
Summary: The study investigated a hybrid process of dark fermentation (DF) and microbial fuel cell (MFC), termed sDFMFC, for simultaneous H2 and electricity production from Saccharina japonica in a single reactor. The results showed that sDFMFC exhibited considerably enhanced energy recovery and confirmed the co-production of H2 and electricity. The process demonstrated a diverse microbial community suitable for microbial conversion of organic substrates.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rhiannon M. Evans, Natalie Krahn, Bonnie J. Murphy, Harrison Lee, Fraser A. Armstrong, Dieter Soll
Summary: The study investigates the impact of substituting cysteine with selenocysteine on the function of [NiFe]-hydrogenases, revealing that while the activity of the enzymes is reduced after substitution, variants with selenocysteine show significant differences in O-2 tolerance and electrocatalytic properties.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
G. Suresh, Poonam Kumari, S. Venkata Mohan
Summary: The fourth industrial revolution expects energy to be sustainable, renewable, and green, and hydrogen (H2) is considered as a possible solution to climate change. Light-dependent H2 production, derived from solar energy, water, and biomass, shows promise due to its reduced environmental impact, carbon dioxide absorption, efficiency, and cost economics. However, challenges such as low light conversion efficiency, limited use of complex carbohydrates, and enzyme sensitivity to oxygen result in low yield.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Optics
Dongping Wang, Lisa A. Poyneer, Diana Chen, S. Mark Ammons, Keith D. Morrison, Janghyuk Lee, Sonny S. Ly, Ted A. Laurence, Peter K. Weber
Summary: This study proposes a wavefront shaping method based on adaptive stochastic parallel gradient descent optimization and Hadamard basis for focusing light through soil medium. The method shows faster convergence rate and better overall performance, which can benefit other high-dimensional optimization problems in adaptive optics and wavefront shaping.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Peter M. Kopittke, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Yolima Carrillo, Timothy R. Cavagnaro, Deli Chen, Qing-Lin Chen, Mercedes Roman Dobarco, Feike A. Dijkstra, Damien J. Field, Michael J. Grundy, Ji-Zheng He, Frances C. Hoyle, Ingrid Kogel-Knabner, Shu Kee Lam, Petra Marschner, Cristina Martinez, Alex B. McBratney, Eve McDonald-Madden, Neal W. Menzies, Luke M. Mosley, Carsten W. Mueller, Daniel V. Murphy, Uffe N. Nielsen, Anthony G. O'Donnell, Elise Pendall, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Cornelia Rumpel, Iain M. Young, Budiman Minasny
Summary: Healthy soils play a crucial role in planetary survivability, providing not only calories but also other essential functions. However, intensive agriculture is rapidly degrading soils and diminishing their capacity to deliver vital functions, highlighting the need to focus on the multiple functions of soils for long-term human welfare and the survivability of the planet.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Janghyuk Lee, Rachel Hestrin, Erin E. Nuccio, Keith D. Morrison, Christina E. Ramon, Ty J. Samo, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Sonny S. Ly, Ted A. Laurence, Peter K. Weber
Summary: This study developed a label-free multiphoton nonlinear imaging approach to visualize microorganisms in soil and roots, providing contrast and chemical information. The method successfully imaged fungi and bacteria structures in the soil and roots, holding significant promise for soil science research.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Craig R. See, Adrienne B. Keller, Sarah E. Hobbie, Peter G. Kennedy, Peter K. Weber, Jennifer Pett-Ridge
Summary: This article questions the assumption that microbial redistribution of carbon into non-rhizosphere soils is minimal, arguing that fungal redistribution plays a significant role. The analysis demonstrates that the omission of the hyphosphere overlooks key mechanisms for mineral-associated organic matter formation in bulk soils.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alicia M. Purcell, Michaela Hayer, Benjamin J. Koch, Rebecca L. Mau, Steven J. Blazewicz, Paul Dijkstra, Michelle C. Mack, Jane C. Marks, Ember M. Morrissey, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Rachel L. Rubin, Egbert Schwartz, Natasja C. van Gestel, Bruce A. Hungate
Summary: Soil carbon storage is crucial for global climate, with microbial growth rates sensitive to temperature, showing diverse responses among taxa. Long-term experimental warming reduced soil microbial growth rates, with varied response magnitude among taxa but consistent direction of reduced growth. The study suggests that aggregate microbial responses may be adequate for climate modeling, and highlights the importance of indirect effects of warming on soil microbes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anne Kakouridis, John A. Hagen, Megan P. Kan, Stefania Mambelli, Lewis J. Feldman, Donald J. Herman, Peter K. Weber, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Mary K. Firestone
Summary: This study provides direct evidence that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can act as extensions of the root system in the movement of water along the soil-plant-air continuum. AMF transport water across an air gap and are also capable of transporting water via an extracytoplasmic pathway.
Article
Ecology
Wenyu Gu, Albert L. Muller, Jorg S. Deutzmann, James R. Williamson, Alfred M. Spormann
Summary: Microorganisms finely coordinate catabolic and anabolic processes to optimize their fitness in varying environmental conditions. This study explores the system-level physiology of Methanococcus maripaludis, a methanogenic archaeon specialized in a specific niche, under phosphate limitation. The results show a decoupling of catabolism and anabolism, resulting in lower biomass yield compared to catabolically limited cells. Furthermore, the abundance of ribosomes and their biogenesis sectors exhibit a linear relationship with growth rate.
Article
Plant Sciences
Colleen Hui, Stefan Schmollinger, Daniela Strenkert, Kristen Holbrook, Hayden R. Montgomery, Si Chen, Hosea M. Nelson, Peter K. Weber, Sabeeha S. Merchant
Summary: Even subtle modifications in growth conditions can affect the molecular and elemental makeup of organisms. We investigated the effects of various factors, such as temperature and pH, on the growth rate and elemental composition of algae and identified specific changes. These findings have implications for experimental reproducibility and data reporting.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jorg S. Deutzmann, Frauke Kracke, Wenyu Gu, Alfred M. Spormann
Summary: This study investigates the impact of intermittent electricity supply on the performance of hydrogen mediated acetate electrosynthesis, and finds that the accumulation of acetic acid and current interruptions affect the recovery. However, supplying a low background current can mitigate the effects of current interruptions on subsequent MES performance.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Alma E. E. Parada, Xavier Mayali, Peter K. K. Weber, Jessica Wollard, Alyson E. E. Santoro, Jed S. A. Fuhrman, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Anne E. E. Dekas
Summary: Most MGI cells do not assimilate carbon from organic substrates, but a minority of cells do so exclusively from nitrogenous substrates. At the population level, MGI assimilation of organic carbon is only a small fraction of total biomass carbon. The results suggest that MGI primarily use organic matter to meet nitrogen demands.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tessa Lund Biel-Nielsen, T. Alan Hatton, Sebastian N. B. Villadsen, Jan S. Jakobsen, Jacob L. Bonde, Alfred M. Spormann, Philip L. Fosbol
Summary: The unprecedented increase in atmospheric CO2 levels requires efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective technologies for CO2 removal. Future CO2 technologies are expected to follow the trend towards electrified systems, driven by declining electricity prices, expansion of renewable energy infrastructure, and advancements in carbon electrotechnologies. Reviewing selected electrochemical technologies, further development is needed within the next decade to meet ambitious climate goals.
Article
Plant Sciences
Hannes Schmidt, Stefan Gorka, David Seki, Arno Schintlmeister, Dagmar Woebken
Summary: This study developed an analytical approach that combines gold-based in situ hybridization with NanoSIMS imaging to identify and localize individual bacteria on root surfaces and observe their metabolic activity. Experiments conducted on rice plants associated with the DS-1 strain showed heterogeneous patterns of N-15 enrichment in the rhizoplane bacteria involved in N2 fixation. This method can be used to investigate plant-microbe interactions and verify the in situ metabolic activity of plant-associated commercial strains or growth-promoting bacteria, aiding in the design of plant-microbe combinations for improved crop management.
Article
Ecology
Alexandra L. McCully, McKenna Loop Yao, Kara K. Brower, Polly M. Fordyce, Alfred M. Spormann
Summary: Our understanding of in situ microbial physiology is limited due to biases towards fast-growing and readily-isolable microbes. To overcome this, a high-throughput bacterial enrichment platform called GrowMiDE was developed, which allows cultivation of underrepresented taxa and slower-growing microbes. GrowMiDE prevents dominance of fast-growing species and enriches for more efficient strains. Moreover, it is compatible with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for obtaining isolates. Overall, GrowMiDE + DE-FACS is a promising tool for diverse microbial enrichments or screens.
ISME COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tessa Lund Biel-Nielsen, T. Alan Hatton, Sebastian N. B. Villadsen, Jan S. Jakobsen, Jacob L. Bonde, Alfred M. Spormann, Philip L. Fosbol
Summary: The unprecedented increase in atmospheric CO2 levels requires efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective technologies for CO2 removal. The future of CO2 technologies will likely be electrically-based, driven by decreasing electricity prices, renewable energy expansion, and advancements in carbon electrotechnologies. Initiatives such as electrochemical carbon capture integrated with Power-to-X applications show promise, but further development within the next decade is crucial for meeting ambitious climate goals.