Publications (48)154.08 Total impact
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Article: Increased Growth of a Hydrogenotrophic Methanogen in Co-Culture with a Cellulolytic Bacterium under Cathodic Electrochemical Regulation.
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ABSTRACT: Bioelectrochemical (-0.8 V, -0.3 V, and +0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl) and non-bioelectrochemical co-cultures of a hydrogenotrophic methanogen and a cellulolytic bacterium were conducted. Unlike non-bioelectrochemical co-cultures, a cathodic reaction (-0.8 V) increased the growth of the hydrogenotrophic methanogen and the cellulolytic bacterium, by 6.0- and 2.2-fold respectively, and increased cellulose degradation. In contrast, anodic reactions (-0.3 V, +0.6 V) influenced them negatively.Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 05/2013; · 1.28 Impact Factor -
Article: Efficient production of methane from artificial garbage waste by a cylindrical bioelectrochemical reactor containing carbon fiber textiles.
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ABSTRACT: A cylindrical bioelectrochemical reactor (BER) containing carbon fiber textiles (CFT; BER + CFT) has characteristics of bioelectrochemical and packed-bed systems. In this study, utility of a cylindrical BER + CFT for degradation of a garbage slurry and recovery of biogas was investigated by applying 10% dog food slurry. The working electrode potential was electrochemically regulated at -0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Stable methane production of 9.37 L-CH4 . L-1 . day-1 and dichromate chemical oxygen demand (CODcr) removal of 62.5% were observed, even at a high organic loading rate (OLR) of 89.3 g-CODcr . L-1 . day-1. Given energy as methane (372.6 kJ . L-1 . day-1) was much higher than input electric energy to the working electrode (0.6 kJ . L-1 . day-1) at this OLR. Methanogens were highly retained in CFT by direct attachment to the cathodic working electrodes (52.3%; ratio of methanogens to prokaryotes), compared with the suspended fraction (31.2%), probably contributing to the acceleration of organic material degradation and removal of organic acids. These results provide insight into the application of cylindrical BER + CFT in efficient methane production from garbage waste including a high percentage of solid fraction.AMB Express. 03/2013; 3(1):17. -
Article: Electrochemical control of redox potential affects methanogenesis of the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus.
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ABSTRACT: AIMS: To investigate the precise effect of the redox potential on the methanogenesis of the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus by using an electrochemical redox controlling system without adding oxidizing or reducing agents. METHODS AND RESULTS: A bioelectrochemical system was applied to control the redox conditions in culture and to measure the methane-producing activity of M. thermautotrophicus at a constant potential from +0.2 V to -0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Methane production and growth of M. thermautotrophicus were 1.6- and 3.5-times increased at -0.8 V, compared with control experiments without electrolysis, respectively, while methanogenesis was suppressed between +0.2 V and -0.2 V. CONCLUSIONS: A clear relationship between an electrochemically regulated redox potential and methanogenesis was revealed. © 2013 The Authors Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2013 The Society for AppliedMicrobiology.Letters in Applied Microbiology 02/2013; · 1.62 Impact Factor -
Article: Pretreatment method for immunoassay of polychlorinated biphenyls in transformer oil using multilayer capillary column and microfluidic liquid-liquid partitioning.
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ABSTRACT: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that are present in the insulating oil inside a large number of transformers. To aid in eliminating PCB-contaminated transformers, PCBs in oil need to be measured using a rapid and cost-effective analytical method. We previously reported a pretreatment method for the immunoassay of PCBs in oil using a large-scale multilayer column and a microchip with multiple microrecesses, which permitted concentrated solvent extraction. In this paper, we report on a more rapid and facile pretreatment method, without an evaporation process, by improving the column and the microchip. In a miniaturized column, the decomposition and separation of oil were completed in 2 min. PCBs can be eluted from the capillary column at concentrations seven-times higher than those from the previous column. The total volume of the microrecesses was increased by improving the microrecess structure, the enabling extraction of four-times the amount of PCBs achieved with the previous system. By interfacing the capillary column with the improved microchip, PCBs in the eluate from the column were extracted into dimethyl sulfoxide in microrecesses with high enrichment and without the need for evaporation. Pretreatment was completed within 20 min. The pretreated oil was analyzed using a flow-based kinetic exclusion immunoassay. The limit of detection of PCBs in oil was 0.15 mg kg(-1), which satisfies the criterion set in Japan of 0.5 mg kg(-1).Analytical Sciences 01/2013; 29(4):393-9. · 1.25 Impact Factor -
Article: Trace-level mercury ion (Hg2+) analysis in aqueous sample based on solid-phase extraction followed by microfluidic immunoassay.
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ABSTRACT: Mercury is considered the most important heavy metal pollutant because of the likelihood of bioaccumulation and toxicity. Monitoring widespread ionic mercury (Hg2+) contamination requires high-throughput and cost-effective methods to screen large numbers of environmental samples. In this study, we developed a simple and sensitive analysis for Hg2+ in environmental aqueous samples by combining a microfluidic immunoassay and solid-phase extraction (SPE). By using a microfluidic platform, an ultrasensitive Hg2+ immunoassay, which yields results in only 10 min and with a lower detection limit (LOD) of 0.13 µg/L, was developed. To allow application of the developed immunoassay to actual environmental aqueous samples, we developed an ion exchange resin (IER) based SPE for selective Hg2+ extraction from among an ion mixture. When using optimized SPE conditions, followed by the microfluidic immunoassay, the LOD of the assay was 0.83 μg/L, which satisfied the guideline values for drinking water suggested by the US EPA (2 µg/L; total mercury), and the WHO (6 µg/L; inorganic mercury). Actual water samples, including tap water, mineral water, and river water, which had been spiked with trace levels of Hg2+, were well analyzed by SPE followed by microfluidic Hg2+ immunoassay, and the results were agreed with reduction vaporizing-atomic adsorption spectroscopy.Analytical Chemistry 11/2012; · 5.86 Impact Factor -
Article: Operation of a cylindrical bioelectrochemical reactor containing carbon fiber fabric for efficient methane fermentation from thickened sewage sludge.
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ABSTRACT: A bioelectrochemical reactor (BER) containing carbon fiber fabric (CFF) (BER+CFF) enabled efficient methane fermentation from thickened sewage sludge. A cylindrical BER+CFF was proposed and scaled-up to a volume of 4.0-L. Thickened sewage sludge was treated using three types of methanogenic reactors. The working electrode potential in the BER+CFF was regulated at -0.8V (vs. Ag/AgCl). BER+CFF showed gas production of 3.57LL(-1)day(-1) at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 4.0days; however, non-BER+CFF showed a lower gas production rate (0.83LL(-1)day(-1)) at this HRT, suggesting positive effects of electrochemical regulation. A stirred tank reactor (without CFF) deteriorated at an HRT of 10days, suggesting positive effects of CFF. 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that the BER+CFF included 3 kinds of hydrogenotrophic methanogens and 1 aceticlastic methanogen. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the BER+CFF for scale-up and flexibility of this technology.Bioresource technology 11/2012; 129C:366-373. · 4.25 Impact Factor -
Article: The membraneless bioelectrochemical reactor stimulates hydrogen fermentation by inhibiting methanogenic archaea.
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ABSTRACT: The membraneless bioelectrochemical reactor (Ml-BER) is useful for dark hydrogen fermentation. The effect of the electrochemical reaction on microorganisms in the Ml-BER was investigated using glucose as the substrate and compared with organisms in a membraneless non-bioelectrochemical reactor (Ml-NBER) and bioelectrochemical reactor (BER) with a proton exchange membrane. The potentials on the working electrode of the Ml-BER and BER with membrane were regulated to -0.9 V (versus Ag/AgCl) to avoid water electrolysis with a carbon electrode. The Ml-BER showed suppressed methane production (19.8 ± 9.1 mg-C·L(-1)·day(-1)) and increased hydrogen production (12.6 ± 3.1 mg-H·L(-1)·day(-1)) at pH(out) 6.2 ± 0.1, and the major intermediate was butyrate (24.9 ± 2.4 mM), suggesting efficient hydrogen fermentation. In contrast, the Ml-NBER showed high methane production (239.3 ± 17.9 mg-C·L(-1)·day(-1)) and low hydrogen production (0.2 ± 0.0 mg-H·L(-1)·day(-1)) at pH(out) 6.3 ± 0.1. In the cathodic chamber of the BER with membrane, methane production was high (276.3 ± 20.4 mg-C·L(-1)·day(-1)) (pH(out), 7.2 ± 0.1). In the anodic chamber of the BER with membrane (anode-BER), gas production was low because of high lactate production (43.6 ± 1.7 mM) at pH(out) 5.0 ± 0.1. Methanogenic archaea were not detected in the Ml-BER and anode-BER. However, Methanosarcina sp. and Methanobacterium sp. were found in Ml-NBER. Prokaryotic copy numbers in the Ml-BER and Ml-NBER were similar, as were the bacterial community structures. Thus, the electrochemical reaction in the Ml-BER affected hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogens, but not the bacterial community.Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 10/2012; · 3.42 Impact Factor -
Article: Acceleration of cellulose degradation and shift of product via methanogenic co-culture of a cellulolytic bacterium with a hydrogenotrophic methanogen.
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ABSTRACT: Although the effects of syntrophic relationships between bacteria and methanogens have been reported in some environments, those on cellulose decomposition using cellulolytic bacteria from methanogenic reactors have not yet been examined. The effects of syntrophic co-culture on the decomposition of a cellulosic material were investigated in a co-culture of Clostridium clariflavum strain CL-1 and the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus strain ΔH and a single-culture of strain CL-1 under thermophilic conditions. In this study, strain CL-1 was newly isolated as a cellulolytic bacterium from a thermophilic methanogenic reactor used for degrading garbage slurry. The degradation efficiency and cell density of strain CL-1 were 2.9- and 2.7-fold higher in the co-culture than in the single-culture after 60 h of incubation, respectively. Acetate, lactate and ethanol were the primary products in both cultures, and the concentration of propionate was low. The content of acetate to total organic acids plus ethanol was 59.3% in the co-culture. However, the ratio decreased to 24.9% in the single-culture, although acetate was the primary product. Therefore, hydrogen scavenging by the hydrogenotrophic methanogen strain ΔH could shift the metabolic pathway to the acetate production pathway in the co-culture. Increases in the cell density and the consequent acceleration of cellulose degradation in the co-culture would be caused by increases in adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) levels, as the acetate production pathway includes ATP generation. Syntrophic cellulose decomposition by the cellulolytic bacteria and hydrogenotrophic methanogens would be the dominant reaction in the thermophilic methanogenic reactor degrading cellulosic materials.Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 05/2012; 114(4):435-9. · 1.79 Impact Factor -
Article: Construction of hydrogen fermentation from garbage slurry using the membrane free bioelectrochemical system.
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to show the effectiveness of the membrane free bioelectrochemical system (BES) using three electrodes on inhibition of methanogenesis and construction of hydrogen fermentation from the artificial garbage slurry. The electrical redox-potential on the working electrode was adjusted to -1.0V (vs. Ag/AgCl) that has positive effect on methanogenesis. The redox-potential on the counter electrode was measured to be 1.6V. The pH in the effluents was 5.5-6.4. Hydrogen production rate at the cathode side was similar to that at the anode side and much higher than that calculated from current, and reached a maximum of 2445±815 (average±standard deviation) mL L(-1) d(-1) at an organic loading rate of 58.7g dichromate chemical oxygen demand per L d(-1). Methane production was negligible throughout the experiment. Acetate and butyrate were the main products of the fermentation using a BES; these offered favorable conditions for hydrogen production. The bacterial community in the bioelectrochemical hydrogen fermentor differed from that in the methanogenic seed sludge and included hitherto unknown species. These results show that high redox-potential on the anodic electrode and acidic pH in the membrane free BES can be utilized for hydrogen fermentation from the artificial garbage slurry by avoiding methanogenesis.Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 05/2012; 114(1):64-9. · 1.79 Impact Factor -
Article: Microfluidic heavy metal immunoassay based on absorbance measurement.
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ABSTRACT: A simple and rapid flow-based multioperation immunoassay for heavy metals using a microfluidic device was developed. The antigen-immobilized microparticles in a sub-channel were introduced as the solid phase into a main channel structures through a channel flow mechanism and packed into a detection area enclosed by dam-like structures in the microfluidic device. A mixture of a heavy metal and a gold nanoparticle-labeled antibody was made to flow toward the corresponding metal through the main channel and make brief contact with the solid phase. A small portion of the free antibody was captured and accumulated on the packed solid phase. The measured absorbance of the gold label was proportional to the free antibody portion and, thus, to the metal concentration. Each of the monoclonal antibodies specific for cadmium-EDTA, chromium-EDTA, or lead-DTPA was applied to the single-channel microfluidic device. Under optimized conditions of flow rate, volume, and antibody concentration, the theoretical (antibody K(d)-limited) detection levels of the three heavy metal species were achieved within only 7 min. The dynamic range for cadmium, chromium, and lead was 0.57-60.06 ppb, 0.03-0.97 ppb, and 0.04-5.28 ppb, respectively. An integrated microchannel device for simultaneous multiflow was also successfully developed and evaluated. The multiplex cadmium immunoassay of four samples was completed within 8 min for a dynamic range of 0.42-37.48 ppb. Present microfluidic heavy metal immunoassays satisfied the Japanese environmental standard for cadmium, chromium and, lead, which provided in the soil contamination countermeasures act.Biosensors & bioelectronics 03/2012; 33(1):106-12. · 5.43 Impact Factor -
Article: Bioelectrochemical regulation accelerates facultatively syntrophic proteolysis.
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ABSTRACT: Bioelectrochemical systems can affect microbial metabolism by controlling the redox potential. We constructed bioelectrochemical cultures of the proteolytic bacterium, Coprothermobacter proteolyticus strain CT-1, both as a single-culture and as a co-culture with the hydrogenotrophic methanogen, Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus strain ∆H, to investigate the influences of bioelectrochemical regulation on facultatively syntrophic proteolysis. The co-culture and single-culture were cultivated at 55°C with an anaerobic medium containing casein as the carbon source. The working electrode potential of the bioelectrochemical system was controlled at -0.8V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for bioelectrochemical cultures and was not controlled for non-bioelectrochemical cultures. The cell densities of hydrogenotrophic methanogen and methane production in the bioelectrochemical co-culture were 3.6 and 1.5 times higher than those in the non-bioelectrochemical co-culture after 7 days of cultivation, respectively. Contrastingly, the cell density of Coprothermobacter sp. in the bioelectrochemical co-culture was only 1.3 times higher than that in the non-bioelectrochemical co-culture. The protein decomposition rates were nearly proportional to the cell density of Coprothermobacter sp. in the all types of cultures. These results indicate that bioelectrochemical regulation, particularly, affected the carbon fixation of the hydrogenotrophic methanogen and that facultatively syntrophic proteolysis was accelerated as a result of hydrogen consumption by the methanogens growing well in bioelectrochemical co-cultures.Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 03/2012; 114(1):59-63. · 1.79 Impact Factor -
Article: Optimization of a commercial biosensor for polychlorinated biphenyls and evaluation of its utility for screening.
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ABSTRACT: We previously described our systematic progress that eventually resulted in a commercially available immunoassay based biosensor (PCB biosensor) for detecting PCBs in oil. However, IC50 of the commercialized PCB biosensor was approximately 2 ppb for PCBs, and did not achieve the theoretical detection limit (TDL) which would represent an IC50 of approximately 0.5 ppb. In this study, we characterize the effects of the antibody concentration, flow volume and flow rate on the PCB biosensor's response. Using the optimum operating conditions, the PCB biosensor achieved the TDL and its performance as a screening test was improved. Working at the stringent maximum residue limit specified by Japanese law (0.5 ppm total PCBs), the optimized biosensor exhibited excellent performance (0% false negatives and 7% false positives) in the screening of 110 samples of used Japanese transformer oil. The general approach for optimization described here is expected to benefit immunoassay researchers attempting to achieve optimum performance.Analytical Sciences 01/2012; 28(8):737-42. · 1.25 Impact Factor -
Article: Analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls in transformer oil by using liquid-liquid partitioning in a microfluidic device.
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ABSTRACT: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that are present in transformer oil are a common global problem because of their toxicity and environmental persistence. The development of a rapid, low-cost method for measurement of PCBs in oil has been a matter of priority because of the large number of PCB-contaminated transformers still in service. Although one of the rapid, low-cost methods involves an immunoassay, which uses multilayer column separation, hexane evaporation, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) partitioning, antigen-antibody reaction, and a measurement system, there is a demand for more cost-effective and simpler procedures. In this paper, we report a DMSO partitioning method that utilizes a microfluidic device with microrecesses along the microchannel. In this method, PCBs are extracted and enriched into the DMSO confined in the microrecesses under the oil flow condition. The enrichment factor was estimated to be 2.69, which agreed well with the anticipated value. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of PCBs in oil was found to be 0.38 mg/kg, which satisfies the much stricter criterion of 0.5 mg/kg in Japan. The developed method can realize the pretreatment of oil without the use of centrifugation for phase separation. Furthermore, the amount of expensive reagents required can be reduced considerably. Therefore, our method can serve as a powerful tool for achieving a simpler, low-cost procedure and an on-site analysis system.Analytical Chemistry 09/2011; 83(20):7834-40. · 5.86 Impact Factor -
Article: Syntrophic degradation of proteinaceous materials by the thermophilic strains Coprothermobacter proteolyticus and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus.
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ABSTRACT: Protein is a major component of organic solid wastes, and therefore, it is necessary to further elucidate thermophilic protein degradation process. The effects of hydrogenotrophic methanogens on protein degradation were investigated using the proteolytic bacterial strain CT-1 that was isolated from a methanogenic thermophilic (55°C) packed-bed reactor degrading artificial garbage slurry. Strain CT-1 was closely related to Coprothermobacter proteolyticus, which is frequently found in methanogenic reactors degrading organic solid wastes. Strain CT-1 was cultivated in the absence or presence of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus by using 3 kinds of proteinaceous substrates. Degradation rates of casein, gelatin, and bovine serum albumin were higher in co-cultures than in monocultures. Strain CT-1 showed faster growth in co-cultures than in monocultures. M. thermautotrophicus comprised 5.5-6.0% of the total cells in co-culture. Increased production of ammonia and acetate was observed in co-cultures than in monocultures, suggesting that addition of M. thermautotrophicus increases the products of protein degradation. Hydrogen produced in the monocultures was converted to methane in co-cultures. These results suggest that thermophilic proteolytic bacteria find it favorable to syntrophically degrade protein in a methanogenic environment, and that it is important to retain hydrogen-scavenging methanogens within the reactor.Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 07/2011; 112(5):469-72. · 1.79 Impact Factor -
Article: A bioelectrochemical reactor containing carbon fiber textiles enables efficient methane fermentation from garbage slurry.
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ABSTRACT: A packed-bed system includes supporting materials to retain microorganisms and a bioelectrochemical system influences the microbial metabolism. In our study, carbon fiber textiles (CFT) as a supporting material was attached onto a carbon working electrode in a bioelectrochemical reactor (BER) that degrades garbage slurry to methane, in order to investigate the effect of combining electrochemical regulation and packing CFT. The potential on the working electrode in the BER containing CFT was set to -1.0 V or -0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). BERs containing CFT exhibited higher methane production, elimination of dichromate chemical oxygen demand, and the ratio of methanogens in the suspended fraction than reactors containing CFT without electrochemical regulation at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 27.8 gCODcr/L/day. In addition, BERs containing CFT exhibited higher reactor performances than BERs without CFT at this OLR. Our results revealed that the new design that combined electrochemical regulation and packing CFT was effective.Bioresource technology 07/2011; 102(13):6837-42. · 4.25 Impact Factor -
Article: Decreasing ammonia inhibition in thermophilic methanogenic bioreactors using carbon fiber textiles.
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ABSTRACT: Ammonia accumulation is one of the main causes of the loss of methane production observed during fermentation. We investigated the effect of addition of carbon fiber textiles (CFT) to thermophilic methanogenic bioreactors with respect to ammonia tolerance during the process of degradation of artificial garbage slurry, by comparing the performance of the reactors containing CFT with the performance of reactors without CFT. Under total ammonia-N concentrations of 3,000 mg L(-1), the reactors containing CFT were found to mediate stable removal of organic compounds and methane production. Under these conditions, high levels of methanogenic archaea were retained at the CFT, as determined by 16S rRNA gene analysis for methanogenic archaea. In addition, Methanobacterium sp. was found to be dominant in the suspended fraction, and Methanosarcina sp. was dominant in the retained fraction of the reactors with CFT. However, the reactors without CFT had lower rates of removal of organic compounds and production of methane under total ammonia-N concentrations of 1,500 mg L(-1). Under this ammonia concentration, a significant accumulation of acetate was observed in the reactors without CFT (130.0 mM), relative to the reactors with CFT (4.2 mM). Only Methanobacterium sp. was identified in the reactors without CFT. These results suggest that CFT enables stable proliferation of aceticlastic methanogens by preventing ammonia inhibition. This improves the process of stable garbage degradation and production of methane in thermophilic bioreactors that include high levels of ammonia.Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 04/2011; 90(4):1555-61. · 3.42 Impact Factor -
Article: Methanogenic communities on the electrodes of bioelectrochemical reactors without membranes.
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ABSTRACT: Methane fermentation was successfully carried out in bioelectrochemical reactors without membranes under a working potential of -0.6 or -0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) and neutral pH conditions. The hydrogenotrophic methanogens that dominated on the anodic and cathodic electrodes differed from those found on the electrodes in the control reactors without electrochemical reactions.Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 01/2011; 111(1):47-9. · 1.79 Impact Factor -
Article: Bioelectrochemical system accelerates microbial growth and degradation of filter paper.
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ABSTRACT: Bioelectrochemical reactors (BERs) with a cathodic working potential of -0.6 or -0.8 V more efficiently degraded cellulosic material, i.e., filter paper (57.4-74.1% in 3 days and 95.9-96.3% in 7 days) than did control reactors without giving exogenous potential (15.4% in 3 days and 64.2% in 7 days). At the same time, resultant conversions to methane and carbon dioxide in cathodic working chamber of BERs by application of electrochemical reduction in 3 days of operation were larger than control reactors. However, cumulative methane production in cathodic BERs was similar to those in control reactors after 7 days of operation. Microscopic observation and 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that microbial growth in the entire consortium was higher after 2 days of operation of cathodic BERs as compared with the control reactors. In addition, the number of methanogenic 16S rRNA gene copies in cathodic BERs was higher than in control reactors. Moreover, archaeal community structures constructed in cathodic BERs consisted of hydrogenotrophic methanogen-related organisms and differed from those in control reactors after 2 days of operation. Specifically, the amount of Methanothermobacter species in cathodic BERs was higher within archaeal communities than in those control reactors after 2 days of operation. Electrochemical reduction may be effective for accelerating microbial growth in the start-up period and thereby increasing microbial treatment of cellulosic waste and methane production.Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 01/2011; 89(2):449-55. · 3.42 Impact Factor -
Article: Efficient degradation of rice straw in the reactors packed by carbon fiber textiles.
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ABSTRACT: We have reported for the first time that agricultural and cellulosic waste, i.e., rice straw was directly applied to methanogenic bioreactors containing carbon fiber textiles (CFT) as supporting material. Addition of CFT to the methanogenic bioreactors enhanced the conversion of dichromate chemical oxygen demand of the substrate to methane (41%) to a greater extent than bioreactors without CFT (9%). In addition, removal of rice straw as a suspended solid was increased from 31% (in bioreactors without CFT) to 57% (in those with CFT). Methanogenic 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that the abundance of acetoclastic methanogen, genus Methanosarcina, was about 11 times higher in bioreactors with CFT (suspended fraction plus retained fraction to CFT) than in bioreactors without CFT (suspended fraction), resulting in lower concentration of acetate in bioreactors with CFT (0.4 mM) than in those without CFT (29.7 mM). On the other hand, the abundance of hydrogenotrophic methanogen, genus Methanobacterium, in bioreactors with CFT was similar to those without CFT. Bacterial communities in bioreactors with CFT were different from those in bioreactors without CFT. Our results indicated that specific microbial community and cooperative relationships between microorganisms in reactors containing CFT facilitated efficient decomposition of rice straw and its conversion to methane.Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 07/2010; 87(4):1579-86. · 3.42 Impact Factor -
Article: Bioelectrochemical system stabilizes methane fermentation from garbage slurry.
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ABSTRACT: Methanogenic bioreactors, which are packed with supporting material, have attracted attention as an efficient means of degrading garbage. We aimed to increase bioreactor performance by using an electrochemical system to regulate the electrical potential on supporting material. At an organic loading rate of 26.9g dichromate chemical oxygen demand (CODcr)/L/day, reactors with a potential of -0.6 or -0.8V, generated by a cathodic electrochemical reaction, showed greater removal of CODcr and methanogenesis than reactors with a potential of 0.0 or -0.3V, generated by anodic reaction, or control reactors without electrochemical regulation. 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that the same methanogens were present in all our reactors, but quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that higher prokaryotic and methanogenic copy numbers were present on cathodic electrodes than on anodic or control electrodes. These results indicate that cathodic electrochemical regulation can support methane fermentation from garbage.Bioresource technology 05/2010; 101(10):3415-22. · 4.25 Impact Factor
Top co-authors
Top Journals
Institutions
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2013
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Electric Power Research Institute
Palo Alto, CA, USA
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1993–2013
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Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry
Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
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2007
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National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
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2006
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The University of Tokyo
- Department of Biotechnology
Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
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2003
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Ain Shams University
- Department of Microbiology
Cairo, Muhafazat al Qahirah, Egypt -
Chiba University
- Graduate School of Science and Technology
Chiba-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan
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