Article
Agricultural Engineering
Konstantin Dinkler, Bowen Li, Jianbin Guo, Benedikt Huelsemann, Gero C. Becker, Joachim Mueller, Hans Oechsner
Summary: The study found that the majority of phosphate in biogas digestate is inorganic, and it is essential to analyze inorganic phosphate for optimal nutrient recovery. Phosphate concentration in extracts was found to be independent of extraction time, highlighting the importance of controlling parameters during different extraction stages to prevent phosphate losses.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kevin D. Orner, Sarah J. Smith, Hanna M. Breunig, Corinne D. Scown, Kara L. Nelson
Summary: The diversion of organic waste through anaerobic digestion presents an opportunity to recover valuable nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, with municipal sewage sludge being the largest potential source for recovery. The nutrient recovery rates vary for different end products, with liquid fertilizer, struvite, and compost contributing to offsetting synthetic fertilizer demand in California to different extents. In a profitable build-out scenario for anaerobic digestion facilities, recovered nutrients could offset a significant portion of the state's synthetic fertilizer demand.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lonestar Gonde, Tristan Wickham, Hendrik Gideon Brink, Willie Nicol
Summary: The liquid digestate, a by-product of the anaerobic digestion process, is rich in essential nutrients for plant growth. This study investigated the ammonium release characteristics and gas production rate by controlling the pH of the digestion process. Results showed that a pH of 7 was optimal for both ammonium release and gas production.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Anita Nagarajan, Bernard Goyette, Vijaya Raghavan, Adarsh Bhaskar, Rajinikanth Rajagopal
Summary: Phosphorous and Nitrogen are crucial for plant growth and their sustainable management is important to meet the global food demand. The production of struvite from agricultural wastes such as anaerobic digestates and livestock wastewater is a green marketing tool in the fertilizer industry. This article provides an overview of struvite production, its potential as a fertilizer source, and its integration with anaerobic digestion, cost benefits, and plant yields.
PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chris Schott, Jorge Ricardo Cunha, Renata D. van der Weijden, Cees Buisman
Summary: Cow manure has the potential to serve as a sustainable secondary fuel and phosphorus resource, reducing reliance on finite primary resources. However, the compositional challenges of high solids content, lack of soluble phosphorus, fine struvite particles, and high bicarbonate concentrations hinder efficient and sustainable utilization. Addition of calcium can increase methane production and conversion of struvite to calcium phosphate.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chris Schott, Liwen Yan, Ugne Gimbutyte, Jorge Ricardo Cunha, Renata D. van der Weijden, Cees Buisman
Summary: Cow manure is an important secondary source of phosphorus. In this study, calcium phosphate granulation was achieved during cow manure treatment using an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and an acidifying continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The efficiency of phosphorus removal reached 83% in the UASB reactor.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ambrogio Pigoli, Massimo Zilio, Fulvia Tambone, Stefania Mazzini, Micol Schepis, Erik Meers, Oscar Schoumans, Andrea Giordano, Fabrizio Adani
Summary: This study successfully transformed organic wastes into N fertilizers and organic fertilizers using high-solid thermophilic anaerobic digestion (HSAD). The produced fertilizers showed high nitrogen concentration, neutral pH, and readily available phosphorus, making them suitable for agricultural use as soil improvers.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Santosh Kumar, Roy Posmanik, Sabrina Spatari, Victor C. Ujor
Summary: Due to climate change and drought, it is crucial to develop new technologies for water recovery from nutrient-rich effluents. Anaerobic digestate contains valuable minerals that can be used as nutrients for fermentation, enabling water recovery and bio-production of chemicals.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
F. Granzotto, C. Aita, D. D. Silveira, F. D. Mayer, S. B. Pujol, J. A. Pinas, R. Hoffmann
Summary: Anaerobic digestion proved to be an efficient method for treating organic wastes from university restaurants, achieving high removal rates of pollutants and producing biogas and digestate for potential use as organic fertilizer.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Harold Leverenz, Russel Adams, Jessica Hazard, George Tchobanoglous
Summary: The state of California has passed legislation to divert organic materials from landfills to reduce methane emissions. This paper focuses on two pilot studies designed to remove ammonia from digester effluent using a thermal stripping column. The studies found that performance was similar with and without caustic addition.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Fabio Rizzioli, Davide Bertasini, David Bolzonella, Nicola Frison, Federico Battista
Summary: The unsustainable environmental impact of fossil derived fertilizers and the depletion of raw materials for their production make the research of alternative sources for fertilizers production one of the main priorities of the international agenda. Different technologies for nutrient recovery from agricultural digestate, such as ammonia stripping and struvite precipitation, pressure-driven membrane technologies, ion exchange, adsorption, evaporation, and electrodialysis, are discussed in this paper. Their robustness, yields, and costs are evaluated to determine their potential for large-scale applications.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Wei Wang, Jo-Shu Chang, Duu-Jong Lee
Summary: The flourishing of anaerobic digestion (AD) in waste treatment highlights the importance of valorization of digestate, which determines the benefits of the AD process. The perception of digestate has shifted from waste to products to realize the concept of circular economy and maximize its benefits. This review provides an overview of the current status of digestate valorization, focusing on thermal-chemical methods, and summarizes novel valorization methods from recent research, highlighting prospects for digestate valorization.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chen-Tsung Hsiao, Tsan-Huai Huang, Carl Francis Z. Lacson, Anabella C. Vilando, Ming-Chun Lu
Summary: Livestock wastewater contains high levels of phosphates and trace amounts of various ionic species, which are harmful to the environment and human health. Crystallization can effectively remove and recover these ions in a non-toxic crystal form from livestock effluent. The fluidized bed homogeneous crystallization (FBHC) technology uses struvite crystallization to remove phosphate and ammonium. The experiments showed different removal and crystallization efficiencies for ammonium and phosphate solutions depending on the presence of copper and zinc.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Carolina Ochoa, Mario A. Hernandez, Olga L. Bayona, Hernando A. Camargo, Ivan O. Cabeza, Angelica M. Candela
Summary: This study focused on recovering nutrients from residual biomass of agricultural activities through anaerobic co-digestion, producing struvite as a fertilizer. The results showed that under specific conditions, high-purity struvite precipitate could be obtained, indicating its potential as an alternative for nutrient recovery and utilization.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Wei Wang, Jo-Shu Chang, Duu-Jong Lee
Summary: The flourishing of anaerobic digestion highlights the importance of digestate valorization, which is crucial in determining the benefits of the process. Recently, digestate has gradually been perceived as a product rather than waste, in order to achieve the concept of a circular economy and maximize its benefits. Land application is the simplest way for valorization, but legislative restrictions and environmental concerns necessitate novel valorization methods. This review outlines the current methods for solid/liquid digestate valorization, nutrient recovery, microalgae cultivation, and integration with biological and thermochemical processes. The proposed novel valorization routes and their challenges and prospects are discussed, with the integration of anaerobic digestion and thermochemical methods showing potential market value for hydrochar/biochar-derived products.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jeleel O. Agboola, Dominic D. Mensah, Jon O. Hansen, David Lapena, Liv T. Mydland, Magnus O. Arntzen, Svein J. Horn, Ove Oyas, Charles McL. Press, Margareth Overland
Summary: This study investigated the effects of yeasts on intestinal health and transcriptomic profiles of Atlantic salmon fed SBM-based diets. The results showed that Cyberlindnera jadinii and Wickerhamomyces anomalus yeasts improved intestinal health and reduced inflammation in fish fed plant-based diets. CJ yeast controlled inflammation by promoting wound healing and taurine metabolism, while WA yeast dampened inflammation by down-regulating pathways associated with inflammatory signaling. These findings suggest that these yeasts can serve as novel high-quality protein sources for Atlantic salmon.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Giorgia Carnovale, Carmen Lama, Sonia Torres, Filipa Rosa, Lalia Mantecon, Svein Jarle Horn, Kari Skjanes, Carlos Infante
Summary: This study reveals that Tetraselmis chui is an efficient starch producer under nitrogen deprivation and shows a high recovery rate after nitrogen restitution. It also suggests that post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms play a crucial role in nutrient stress response in T. chui.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Line Degn Hansen, Martin Ostensen, Bjornar Arstad, Roman Tschentscher, Vincent G. H. Eijsink, Svein J. Horn, Aniko Varnai
Summary: The use of a carbocation scavenger to improve the enzymatic saccharification of steam-exploded softwood brings us closer to a softwood-based biorefinery. The impregnation effect enables complete saccharification of spruce cellulose with lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO)-containing Cellic CTec2, but not with an LPMO-poor cellulase cocktail (Celluclast).
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Giorgia Carnovale, Shaun Leivers, Filipa Rosa, Hans-Ragnar Norli, Edvard Hortemo, Trude Wicklund, Svein Jarle Horn, Kari Skjanes
Summary: Microalgal biomass, cultivated under nitrogen deprivation to produce 50% starch-containing Tetraselmis chui, was explored as an active ingredient in beer brewing through small-scale trials. Successfully integrated into the brewing process, T. chui enriched beer with microalgae, resulting in a product with distinct sensory properties.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yasin Torres-Tiji, Francis J. Fields, Yanping Yang, Vanessa Heredia, Svein Jarle Horn, Saumya R. Keremane, Moonsoo M. Jin, Stephen P. Mayfield
Summary: Microalgae have been recognized as an alternative platform for producing high-quality biomass and bioproducts. This study examines the potential of the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to produce a complex human recombinant protein in a high-density heterotrophic culture. The results show that C. reinhardtii is a viable option for producing complex recombinant proteins at high concentrations.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Heidi Ostby, Aniko Varnai, Raphael Gabriel, Piotr Chylenski, Svein J. Horn, Steven W. Singer, Vincent G. H. Eijsink
Summary: Understanding and improving the efficiency of enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass is crucial for utilizing renewable materials. This study focuses on the role of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and investigates various process parameters. The results demonstrate the potential of LPMO-rich cellulolytic secretome and the usefulness of glucose oxidase for optimizing saccharification.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Seyedbehnam Hashemi, Linn Solli, Roald Aasen, Jacob J. Lamb, Svein Jarle Horn, Kristian M. Lien
Summary: In this study, steam-exploded birch wood (SEBW) was delignified using a pretreatment method involving Fenton reaction (FR) and fungi. Optimal Fe(III) and Fe(II) dosages in FR were determined to achieve maximum iron-binding to SEBW. Enzymatic pretreatment using a commercial cellulase cocktail improved methane production rate, while pretreatments with fungi Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) and Lentinula edodes (LE) showed greater enhancement in methane production yield.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Line D. Hansen, Vincent G. H. Eijsink, Svein J. Horn, Aniko Varnai
Summary: Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) is a commonly used strategy for lignocellulosic biomass valorization. Adding small amounts of H2O2 during SSF can sustain the activity of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and improve cellulose depolymerization efficiency, leading to increased lactic acid production.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nanna Rhein-Knudsen, Diego Reyes-Weiss, Svein Jarle Horn
Summary: In this study, a new enzymatic extraction technique was developed for the production of pure and intact fucoidans from brown seaweeds. The fucoidans obtained by this method showed higher amounts of fucose and sulfate, the main components of fucoidans, compared to traditionally extracted fucoidans. The extracted fucoidans also had low contamination of cellulose, laminarin, and alginate. This new enzymatic extraction technique provides high purity fucoidans for further study of their structures and biological activities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Pernille Margrethe Olsen, Gergely Kosa, Marianne Kluver, Achim Kohler, Volha Shapaval, Svein Jarle Horn
Summary: Lignocellulosic sugars from Norway spruce were used to produce docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by the marine thraustochytrid Aurantiochytrium limacinum SR21. Shake flask batch cultivations showed that no additional salts were needed for optimal growth. Fed-batch bioreactors produced up to 55 g/L cell dry mass and a total fatty acid content of 44% (w/w), with 1/3 of it being DHA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was successfully used to monitor lipid accumulation in A. limacinum SR21. This study demonstrates that crude spruce hydrolysates can be used as a sustainable resource for DHA production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lu Feng, Nabin Aryal, Yeqing Li, Svein Jarle Horn, Alastair James Ward
Summary: Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a versatile technology that can produce biofuels, biochemicals, and fertilizer as part of the circular bioeconomy. Agricultural residues, such as animal slurry, straw, and grass silage, are valuable resources with significant potential to increase biogas and methane yields. However, it is crucial to assess the long-term impacts and the potential accumulation of unwanted substances. This comprehensive literature review analyzes the benefits and environmental impacts of using agricultural residues for AD and highlights potential risks and challenges in developing a biogas-centered circular bioeconomy.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eirik G. Kommedal, Camilla F. Angeltveit, Leesa J. Klau, Ivan Ayuso-Fernandez, Bjornar Arstad, Simen G. Antonsen, Yngve Stenstrom, Dag Ekeberg, Francisco Girio, Florbela Carvalheiro, Svein J. Horn, Finn Lillelund Aachmann, Vincent G. H. Eijsink
Summary: The degradation of plant biomass is promoted by light through the generation of hydrogen peroxide, which is used by enzymes to degrade cellulose. This light-driven abiotic reaction provides opportunities for bioprocessing and offers an enzymatic explanation for the effect of visible light on biomass conversion.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Seyedbehnam Hashemi, Linn Solli, Kristian M. M. Lien, Jacob J. Lamb, Svein Jarle Horn
Summary: This study showed that thermal pre-treatment of birch wood improved its digestibility for biogas production. The adapted microbial community increased methane production and tolerance to inhibitors formed during pre-treatment. The shift in methane production pathway and change in microbial community highlighted the importance of the hydrolysis step in anaerobic digestion.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jeleel O. Agboola, Sergio D. C. Rocha, Dominic D. Mensah, Jon O. Hansen, Ove Oyas, David Lapena, Liv T. Mydland, Magnus O. Arntzen, Svein J. Horn, Margareth Overland
Summary: This study investigates the effects of yeast and processing on the gut microbiota of Atlantic salmon fed a soybean meal-based diet. The results show that the inclusion of soybean meal in the diet alters the composition and predicted metabolic capacity of the fish's gut microbiota, while the addition of different processed yeasts does not change these effects.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yogesh B. Chaudhari, Aniko Varnai, Morten Sorlie, Svein J. Horn, Vincent G. H. Eijsink
Summary: Lignocellulosic biomass is a valuable renewable resource for energy, chemicals, and materials. Efficient enzymatic depolymerization of cellulose to glucose is essential for its economically viable utilization. This review focuses on the engineering of cellulases to improve their efficiency, stability, and cost-effectiveness. The review also provides an overview of recent advancements and notable studies in cellulase engineering.
PROTEIN ENGINEERING DESIGN & SELECTION
(2023)
