Review
Energy & Fuels
Nevena Ilic, Marija Milic, Suncica Beluhan, Suzana Dimitrijevic-Brankovic
Summary: Cellulases have attracted worldwide attention as they can degrade cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass and transform it into bioethanol. The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by cellulases is a crucial step in biofuel production due to the complex structure of lignocellulose. The demand for cellulases is rapidly growing due to their unique ability to hydrolyze the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulosic biomass. Continuous efforts are being made to develop cellulase mixtures/cocktails with improved performance and isolate new microorganisms as potential producers of cellulases for biofuel production. This review provides insight into current research on improving microbial cellulase production and the outlook for the cellulase market in industrial bioethanol production.
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Chaozhong Xu, Shanshan Tong, Liqun Sun, Xiaoli Gu
Summary: Cellulase-mediated lignocellulosic biorefinery is crucial for producing high-value biofuels and chemicals, and immobilization of cellulase enzymes has greatly improved the efficiency, stability, and reusability of the process. This comprehensive review analyzes the principles and various approaches of cellulase immobilization, including physical adsorption, covalent binding, entrapment, and cross-linking. It also explores different carrier materials and emerging techniques such as multi-enzyme co-immobilization and 3D printing carriers, while addressing obstacles like diffusion limitations and loss of cellulase activity.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Asma Chaudhary, Zawar Hussain, Ayesha Aihetasham, Mohamed El-Sharnouby, Rahat Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Azmat Ullah Khan, Sarwat Zahra, Ayesha Saleem, Sana Azhar, Alaa Alhazmi, Ahmad El Askary, Samy Sayed, Hesham Ali El Enshasy, Siti Zulaiha Hanapi, Samina Qamer
Summary: The study aimed to optimize parameters for bioethanol production by using HNO3 hydrolysis of pomegranate peels waste, resulting in optimum ethanol yield of 61.45 g/L and 236 g/L for reducing sugars and total carbohydrates, respectively. Fermentation of dilute HNO3 hydrolyzates of pomegranate peels waste showed a substantial amount of ethanol production under optimized conditions.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Reeta Rani Singhania, Anil Kumar Patel, Anusuiya Singh, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Shveta Soam, Chiu-Wen Chen, Mei -Ling Tsai, Cheng-Di Dong
Summary: Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is a production method that directly produces value-added compounds from biomass, reducing inputs and chemical use. However, commercialization has been limited due to low conversion efficiency. The key challenge is developing a cost-effective CBP process with bifunctional catalysts.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Roqaya A. Ismail, Mahendra Kumar, Noman K. Khanzada, Navya Thomas, Nurshaun Sreedhar, Alicia Kyoungjin An, Hassan A. Arafat
Summary: In this study, a quaternized polydopamine nanohybrid was synthesized and used as an additive in Poly(ether sulfone) membranes. The hybrid membranes exhibited high water permeability, excellent antifouling activity, and impressive rejection of salt solutions and dyes. They also showed strong antibacterial activity.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yuyao Jia, Shraddha Maitra, Vijay Singh
Summary: Bioenergy crops have the potential to be sustainable and renewable sources for biofuels and valuable bioproducts. This study used transgenic sugarcane to produce high-value bioproducts from lignocellulosic biomass. The process of hydrothermal pretreatment and nanofiltration was optimized to effectively coproduce and recover sugars, furfurals, HMF, acetic acid, and vegetative lipids from the biomass. This work demonstrates the feasibility of producing and recovering multiple biochemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Luca Mazzaferro, Samuel J. Lounder, Ayse Asatekin
Summary: The limited chemistries of membranes on the market restrict their applications in various separations. This study introduces a new class of membrane materials based on self-assembly of random polyampholyte amphiphilic copolymers, which exhibit excellent permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance. The membranes feature ionic nanodomains as nanochannels for water permeation, surrounded by hydrophobic nanodomains to maintain structural integrity. Precise control over selectivity is achieved by designing the copolymers, enabling a wide range of applications in wastewater treatment and chemical separations.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Katarzyna Jankowska, Ziran Su, Jakub Zdarta, Teofil Jesionowski, Manuel Pinelo
Summary: Nowadays, the increasing amounts of dyes in wastewater and water bodies have become a global problem. Researchers have developed new biosystems using nanofiltration or ultrafiltration membranes combined with laccase to decolorize aqueous solutions of azo dyes. The experiment showed that under the conditions of pH 5 and pressure of 2 bar, high decolorization efficiencies of 97% and 100% were achieved.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Cheng-Di Dong, Anil Kumar Patel, Aravind Madhavan, Chiu-Wen Chen, Reeta Rani Singhania
Summary: Lignocellulosic biomass plays a significant role in providing a sustainable solution for energy and reducing carbon footprint. The efficiency of cellulolytic enzymes is crucial for the economic feasibility of biomass biorefinery. Protein post-translational modifications, especially glycosylation, can improve the stability and efficiency of cellulases.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paulina Rajewska, Jolanta Janiszewska, Jakub Rajewski
Summary: This article analyzes the use of integrated ultrafiltration and nanofiltration processes for potato processing wastewater treatment. The results show that ultrafiltration can effectively remove suspended solids and turbidity, while nanofiltration can efficiently recover water.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Neha Srivastava, Rajeev Singh, Manish Srivastava, Asad Syed, Dan Bahadur Pal, Ali H. Bahkali, P. K. Mishra, Vijai Kumar Gupta
Summary: The study utilized mixed fungal consortia for solid state fermentation to enhance cellulase production, and improved the thermal and pH stability of cellulase with NiFe2O4 nanoparticles. The treated cellulase was used for enzymatic hydrolysis of biowaste to biofuels, resulting in significantly higher sugar yield and productivity compared to control.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhenzhen Zhang, Md. Mushfequr Rahman, Barbara Bajer, Nico Scharnagl, Volker Abetz
Summary: In this study, a series of porous membranes with different effective pore sizes were successfully prepared using a membrane post-modification technique. The excellent separation performance was demonstrated by separating organic molecules of 1-2 nm in size.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Neha Srivastava, Rajeev Singh, Ashutosh Kumar Rai, Bhawna Verma, Subhash C. Tripathi, Farkad Bantun, Hani Faidah, Ravindra Pratap Singh, Naif A. Jalal, Noha E. Abdel-razik, Shafiul Haque
Summary: This study investigated a method for producing graphene-like carbon nanostructures (GLCNs) using paddy straw (Ps) and examined its physicochemical characteristics. The Ps feedstock was pretreated using diluted waste KOH liquid collected during the preparation of GLCNs to produce cellulase. The newly prepared GLCNs were used as a nanocatalyst to increase enzyme production and stability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Tiina Pohler, Andreas Mautner, Andrea Aguilar-Sanchez, Bjoern Hansmann, Vesa Kunnari, Antti Gronroos, Ville Rissanen, Gilberto Siqueira, Aji P. Mathew, Tekla Tammelin
Summary: The application of plant-derived nanoscale cellulosic materials in water purification membranes is gaining interest. A roll-to-roll membrane modification approach using thin submicron nanocellulose coatings was used to manufacture anti-biofouling membranes with size and charge dependent selectivity. The coated membranes showed high rejection levels and were able to withstand high filtration pressure.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Boya Zhang, Xianshe Feng
Summary: This study compares the pervaporative concentration of dairy solutions with ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). The results show that pervaporation exhibits almost complete retention of dairy solids and has a lower flux decline compared to other membrane processes. Unlike UF, NF, and RO, the mass transport in pervaporation is mainly determined by the membrane itself rather than external factors such as membrane fouling and concentration polarization.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Weifeng Cao, Weilei Cao, Fei Shen, Jianquan Luo, Junxiang Yin, Changsheng Qiao, Yinhua Wan
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xiatian Tian, Benkun Qi, Shaofeng Zhang, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: The study found that Lewis acid AlCl3 is effective in catalyzing the conversion of sucrose to HMF, and combining it with different Bronsted acids or changing the Lewis acid/Bronsted acid ratio can shorten the time required to reach maximum HMF yield. In the green reaction media of GVL solvent, sucrose conversion resulted in comparable HMF yields to the DSMO-water system. The addition of NaCl and Na2SO4 had opposite effects on HMF production.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yun Li, Benkun Qi, Yinhua Wan
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2020)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuan Zhu, Benkun Qi, Xinquan Liang, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: In this study, it was found that acidified solutions of ChCl and glycerol were more efficient at removing lignin and xylan from corn stover compared to DES. Acidified ChCl solution showed better pretreatment performance than acidified glycerol solution. Additionally, the presence of 20% water in DES reduced its capability for delignification and xylan removal. Enzymatic saccharification of pretreated CS was highly correlated to delignification and cellulose crystallinity, but less correlated to xylan removal.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xinquan Liang, Yuan Zhu, Benkun Qi, Shiqian Li, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: This study investigated the pretreatment of corn stover using lactic acid-based deep eutectic solvents with varying hydrogen bond acceptor structures. The results showed that DESs with short alkyl chain HBAs were more effective in removing lignin and xylan and promoting enzymatic digestion. Additionally, the hydrogen bond acidity of the DESs was found to have a strong positive relationship with pretreatment efficacy, providing insights into the design and selection of DESs for lignocellulose pretreatment.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Benkun Qi, Zhenwu Wang, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: In this study, acid and alkali catalyzed choline chloride pretreatment of corn stover showed different effects on lignin and xylan removal, with acidified ChCl being more effective in delignification and alkalified ChCl better at removing xylan. However, alkalified ChCl pretreatment resulted in higher glucose yield compared to acidified ChCl pretreatment. The correlation studies indicated that high delignification and larger cellulose crystallite size were key factors contributing to high enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. Additionally, analysis of extracted lignin showed changes in molecular weight and phenolic hydroxyl groups based on different pretreatment methods.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yuan Zhu, Benkun Qi, Xinquan Liang, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: This study investigated the efficient pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse using Lewis acid-mediated glycerol, leading to high glucan recovery, xylan removal, and delignification rates. Enzymatic saccharification of the pretreated bagasse resulted in a significant glucose yield, while the extracted lignin samples demonstrated contrasting effects on enzymatic hydrolysis, showing potential for valorization into high-value products.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shiqian Li, Benkun Qi, Jianquan Luo, Yongbing Zhuang, Yinhua Wan
Summary: The study focused on the performance of four metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in adsorbing furfural and phenolic inhibitors, with MIL-140C demonstrating the best adsorption capability. The adsorption process on MIL-140C was ultrafast, fitting well with a pseudosecond-order model and Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption was found to be exothermic and spontaneous, with great promise in removing inhibitors from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Zhiqin He, Yun Li, Benkun Qi
Summary: This paper reviews the sources and characteristics of greywater, analyzes its quantity and quality, outlines common greywater treatment technologies, and focuses on the mechanisms of contaminant removal. Future perspectives on greywater management and reuse are also presented.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Guangyong Zeng, Liyi Zhang, Benkun Qi, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: Avicel cellulose was pretreated with two commonly used carboxylic acid-based deep eutectic solvents, choline chloride-lactic acid and choline chloride-formic acid. The pretreatment led to the formation of cellulose esters with lactic acid and formic acid, which was confirmed through spectroscopic analysis. Surprisingly, the esterified cellulose showed a significant decrease in enzymatic glucose yield compared to the untreated cellulose, but this reduction could be recovered by removing the ester groups through saponification. The decreased enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis may be attributed to changes in the interaction between the cellulose-binding domain of cellulase and the esterified cellulose.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing Li, Jian Lu, Haoqi Sang, Yu Zhang, Benkun Qi, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan, Yongbing Zhuang
Summary: In this study, three synthesized DES-resistant polyimides (PIs) were used to prepare UF membranes for the direct separation of LS from DES solutions. The resulting UF membranes exhibited smaller pore sizes and higher LS rejections and DES fluxes, with the B-PI membrane showing the best separation performance and excellent operating stability.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhenzhou Zhu, Sirong Wu, Benkun Qi, Caixia Wang, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: This study focused on the utilization of herbal biomass residues (HBRs) by batch and fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis to produce high-concentration glucose. It was found that the high starch content of the HBRs led to greater release of glucose when both cellulolytic and amylolytic enzymes were used. Batch enzymatic hydrolysis of 10% raw HBRs resulted in a high glucan conversion of ≥70%, while fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis with a total solid loading of 30% produced glucose concentrations of 125 g/L, 92 g/L, and 83 g/L for different HBRs. The elimination of pretreatment step is a significant advantage of using these HBRs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Zhenzhou Zhu, Sirong Wu, Benkun Qi, Caixia Wang, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: In this study, enzymatic saccharification of Lianhua Qingwen residue (LQR) was improved by direct hydrolysis and ultrasound treatment. Ultrasound treatment disrupted the structure of LQR and reduced particle size, leading to better contact between the enzyme and substrate, and thus enhancing the efficiency of the saccharification process.
RESULTS IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Shiqian Li, Benkun Qi, Jianquan Luo, Yinhua Wan
Summary: Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were functionalized with TA/PEI and covalently immobilized laccase for degradation of phenolic inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysate. The immobilized laccase showed high activity, stability, and potential for practical applications.
RESULTS IN ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yinping Xiang, Meiying Jia, Rui Xu, Jialu Xu, Lele He, Haihao Peng, Weimin Sun, Dongbo Wang, Weiping Xiong, Zhaohui Yang
Summary: This study investigated the impact of the non-antibiotic pharmaceutical carbamazepine on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during anaerobic digestion. The results showed that carbamazepine induced the enrichment of ARGs and increased the abundance of bacteria carrying these genes. It also facilitated microbial aggregation and intercellular communication, leading to an increased frequency of ARGs transmission. Moreover, carbamazepine promoted the acquisition of ARGs by pathogens and elevated their overall abundance.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Weixin Zhao, Tianyi Hu, Hao Ma, Dan Li, Qingliang Zhao, Junqiu Jiang, Liangliang Wei
Summary: This review summarizes the effects and potential mechanisms of biochar on microbial behavior in AD systems. The addition of biochar has been found to promote microbial colonization, alleviate stress, provide nutrients, and enhance enzyme activity. Future research directions include targeted design of biochar, in-depth study of microbial mechanisms, and improved models.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Christina Karmann, Anna Magrova, Pavel Jenicek, Jan Bartacek, Vojtech Kouba
Summary: This review assesses nitrogen removal technologies in reject water treatment, highlighting the differences in environmental impacts and economic benefits. Partial nitritation-anammox shows potential for economic benefits and positive environmental outcomes when operated and controlled properly.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Wei-Hao Huang, Ying-Ju Chang, Duu-Jong Lee
Summary: This study modified pinecone biochar with layered double hydroxide (LDH) to enhance its adsorption capacity for heavy metal and phosphate ions. The LDH-biochar showed significantly improved adsorption capacities for Pb2+ and phosphate, and a slight increase for Cu2+ and Co2+. The LDH layer enhanced the adsorption through various mechanisms.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Chao Song, Fanfan Cai, Shuang Yang, Ligong Wang, Guangqing Liu, Chang Chen
Summary: This paper developed a machine learning model to predict the biochemical methane potential during anaerobic digestion. Model analysis identified lignin content, organic loading, and nitrogen content as key attributes for methane production prediction. For feedstocks with high cellulose content, early methane production is lower but can be improved by prolonging digestion time. Moreover, lignin content exceeding a certain value significantly inhibits methane production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Sang Min Lee, Ju Young Lee, Ji-Sook Hahn, Seung-Ho Baek
Summary: This study successfully developed an efficient platform strain using Yarrowia lipolytica for the bioconversion of renewable resources into adipic acid, achieving a remarkable increase in production level.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Sefkan Kendir, Matthias Franzreb
Summary: This study presents a novel approach using magnetic separation to efficiently harvest freshwater microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris. By combining pH-induced calcium phosphate precipitation with cheap natural magnetite microparticles, harvesting efficiencies up to 98% were achieved in the model medium.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ishaq Kariim, Ji-Yeon Park, Wajahat Waheed Kazmi, Hulda Swai, In-Gu Lee, Thomas Kivevele
Summary: The impact of reaction temperature, residence time, and ethanol: acetone on the energy compositions and yield enhancement of biocrudes was investigated. The results showed that under appropriate conditions, biocrudes with high energy and low oxygen content can be obtained, indicating a high potential for utilization.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xiyue Zhang, Xiyao Li, Liang Zhang, Yongzhen Peng
Summary: Intermittent aeration is an innovative approach to enhance nitrogen removal in low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio municipal sewage, providing an efficient strategy for the continuous plug-flow AOA process.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xu Yang, Mahmoud Mazarji, Mengtong Li, Aohua Li, Ronghua Li, Zengqiang Zhang, Junting Pan
Summary: This study investigated the impact of magnetite on the nitrogen cycle of pig manure biostabilisation. The addition of magnetite increased N2O emissions and decreased NH3 emissions during composting. It also increased the total nitrogen content but should be considered for its significant increase in N2O emissions in engineering practice.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Ty Shitanaka, Haylee Fujioka, Muzammil Khan, Manpreet Kaur, Zhi-Yan Du, Samir Kumar Khanal
Summary: The market value of microalgae has exponentially increased in the past two decades, thanks to their applications in various industries. However, the supply of high-value microalgal bioproducts is limited due to several factors, and strategies are being explored to overcome these limitations and improve microalgae production, thus increasing the availability of algal-derived bioproducts in the market.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Martin Kerner, Thorsten Wolff, Torsten Brinkmann
Summary: The efficiency of using enriched CO2 from flue gas for large-scale production of green microalgae has been studied. The results show that the use of membrane devices and static mixers can effectively improve the CO2 recovery rate and maintain the suitable pH and temperature during cultivation, achieving a more economical and sustainable microalgae production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Rui Ma, Ji Li, Rd Tyagi, Xiaolei Zhang
Summary: This review summarizes the microorganisms capable of using CO2 and CH4 to produce PHAs, illustrating the production process, factors influencing it, and discussing optimization techniques. It identifies the challenges and future prospects for developing economically viable PHAs production using GHGs as a carbon source.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Bing Wang, Peng Zhang, Xu Guo, Xu Bao, Junjie Tian, Guomin Li, Jian Zhang
Summary: The addition of zeolite in the co-composting of chicken manure and straw significantly reduced the emissions of ammonia and N2O, and increased the nitrate content. Zeolite also promoted the abundance of nitrification genes and inhibited the expression of denitrification genes.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Rohit Dey, Franziska Ortiz Tena, Song Wang, Josef Martin Messmann, Christian Steinweg, Claudia Thomsen, Clemens Posten, Stefan Leu, Matthias S. Ullrich, Laurenz Thomsen
Summary: This study investigated the operation of a 1000L microalgae-based membrane photobioreactor system for continuous secondary wastewater treatment. The research focused on a green microalgae strain called Desmodesmus sp. The study aimed to understand key trends and optimization strategies by conducting experiments in both summer and winter seasons. The findings showed that maintaining low cell concentrations during periods of light inhibition was beneficial for nutrient uptake rates. Effective strategies for enhancing algae-based wastewater treatment included cell mass recycling and adjusting dilution rates based on light availability.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
