Photo-fermentational hydrogen production of Rhodobacter sp. KKU-PS1 isolated from an UASB reactor

Background In this study, the detection of nifH and nifD by a polymerase chain reaction assay was used to screen the potential photosynthetic bacteria capable of producing hydrogen from five different environmental sources. Efficiency of photo-hydrogen production is highly dependent on the culture conditions. Initial pH, temperature and illumination intensity were optimized for maximal hydrogen production using response surface methodology with central composite design. Results Rhodobacter sp. KKU-PS1 (GenBank Accession No. KC478552) was isolated from the methane fermentation broth of an UASB reactor. Malic acid was the favored carbon source while Na-glutamate was the best nitrogen source. The optimum conditions for simultaneously maximizing the cumulative hydrogen production (Hmax) and hydrogen production rate (Rm) from malic acid were an initial of pH 7.0, a temperature of 25.6°C, and an illumination intensity of 2500 lx. Hmax and Rm levels of 1264 ml H2/l and 6.8 ml H2/L-h were obtained, respectively. The optimum initial pH and temperature were further used to optimize the illumination intensity for hydrogen production. An illumination intensity of 7500 lx gave the highest values of Hmax (1339 ml H2/l) and Rm (12.0 ml H2/L-h) with a hydrogen yield and substrate conversion efficiency of 3.88 mol H2/mol malate and 64.7%, respectively. Conclusions KKU-PS1 can produce hydrogen from at least 8 types of organic acids. By optimizing pH and temperature, a maximal hydrogen production by this strain was obtained. Additionally, by optimizing the light intensity, Rm was increased by approximately two fold and the lag phase of hydrogen production was shortened.

Isolation and application of a wild strain photosynthetic bacterium to environmental waste management

A new photosynthetic bacterium isolate was morphologically identified as a non-motile rod-shape gram-negative bacterium. It produced a dark red culture under phototrophic condition, reproduced by budding and formed a lamellar intracytoplasmic membrane system parallel to cytoplasmic membrane, which contained bacteriochlorophyll a and caratenoids. It's physiological and nutrient requirement tests gave indication that the isolate thrived and multiplied in varied environmental conditions. It was consequently named Z08 and identified as Rhodobacter sphaeroides by 16SrDNA. Adaptation of Z08 to biodegradation of two environmentally concerned wastewaters, i.e. soybean and pharmaceutical wastewaters, attested its potential in wastewater bioremediation. Z08 adaptation in a suspended batch photobioreactor treating pharmaceutical wastewater at 35001x radiation recorded best result after wastewater dilution of 1:4 with concomitant chemical oxygen demand reduction, biomass yield and specific growth of 50%, 780 mg/L and 0.015/h, respectively at the lowest hydraulic retention time of three days. Furthermore, gas chromatography mass spectra analyses of treated and raw pharmaceutical wastewater indicated that high molecular weight recalcitrant compounds found in the pharmaceutical wastewater were transformed to less toxic and acceptable lower molecular weight substances through biodegradation. Whilst Z08 treatment of soybean wastewater under natural light intensity radiation recorded 80% reduction, 1540 mg/L and 0.025/h for chemical oxygen demand, biomass and specific growth rate respectively regardless of the food to microorganism ratio. This preliminary investigation showed that isolate Z08 has some toxic tolerance level which could detoxify refractory substances with great potential for cell protein recovery in high organic strength wastewater. Therefore, strain Z08 could be employed in biodegradation of contaminated wastewater streams

Bacteriocin from Purple Nonsulfur Phototrophic Bacteria, Rhodobacter capsulatus

To find whether productivity of bacteriocin is controlled between different species under unusual cultural conditions, we used Rhodobacter capsulatus ATCC 17016 as a producer and Rhodopseudomonas palustris ATCC 17003 as an indicator. Rhodobacter capsulatus was cultured under aerobic conditions in the dark in Lascelles medium containing 0.3% Triton X-100. As a result, bacteriocin productivity increased enormously. The optimal pH range of bacteriocin production was 6~7.8. Through partial purification of bacteriocin, the molecular weight was roughly estimated at 14 kDa. Plasmid had no influence on bacteriocin production by Rhodobacter capsulatus. Our findings indicate that culture conditions affect bacteriocin productivity between more distantly related species, and bacteriocin of Rhodobacter capsulatus is not encoded by a plasmid.