Efficient continuous biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by activated sludge micromycetes with enhanced tolerance to metal ion toxicity.

The method for producing AgNPs by granules of activated sludge micromycetes with enhanced tolerance to metal ion toxicity - Penicillium glabrum, Fusarium nivale and Fusarium oxysporum has been developed; the optimum conditions for AgNP biosynthesis being found: the Ag+ ion concentration, duration of the contact of microbial cells with silver ions, a growth phase of microorganisms, medium composition, a рН value, mixing conditions, and also lighting intensity. The effect of Cl-, SO42- and HPO42- ions binding Ag+ ions was eliminated, that brought to significant increase of the yield of NPs. Under batch conditions, silver particles of 60-110 nanometers in size were formed with a 65% yield. It was established that the nanoparticles were covered with microbial cell membrane proteins composed up to 70% by weight of the NPs that prevented their aggregation. In addition, it was the first time stable AgNPs had been formed by continuous AgNP biosynthesis by living cells of F. oxysporum with an 80% yield for a long time.

High-effective cultivation of Halobacterium salinarum providing with bacteriorhodopsin production under controlled stress.

Submerged growth of Halobacterium salinarum and therefore synthesis of bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and carotenoids depend greatly on products of both chemical and/or photochemical oxidation of medium components and cellular metabolism which act as inhibitors. Some cultivation variants which allowed eliminating an adverse effect of inhibitors on biomass accumulation and BR synthesis are reviewed. The application of activated charcoal or ion exchange resin as adsorbents at preparing inoculums and the main cultivation stages was shown to allow controlling, namely lowering overstress of the halobacterial cells by metabolites. The halobacterial biomass containing BR up to 1,750mgL(-1) and the minimum amount of carotinoids that would BR greatly facilitate isolation was accumulated up to 45gL(-1) during eight-day cultivation with cell recycling through adsorbent suspension in a fed-batch mode. To control BR biosynthesis the express method of BR quantification based on colour shades of cell suspension was developed.

Toxic influence of silver and uranium salts on activated sludge of wastewater treatment plants and synthetic activated sludge associates modeled on its pure cultures.

Toxic impact of silver and uranium salts on activated sludge of wastewater treatment facilities has been studied. Some dominating cultures (an active nitrogen fixer Agrobacterium tumifaciens (A.t) and micromyces such as Fusarium nivale, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillium glabrum) have been isolated and identified as a result of selection of the activated sludge microorganisms being steadiest under stressful conditions. For these cultures, the lethal doses of silver amounted 1, 600, 50, and 300 µg/l and the lethal doses of uranium were 120, 1,500, 1,000, and 1,000 mg/l, respectively. A.tumifaciens is shown to be more sensitive to heavy metals than micromyces. Synthetic granular activated sludge was formed on the basis of three cultures of the isolated micromyces steadiest against stress. Its granules were much more resistant to silver than the whole native activated sludge was. The concentration of silver causing 50 % inhibition of synthetic granular activated sludge growth reached 160-170 µg/l as far as for the native activated sludge it came only to 100-110 µg/l.

The role of stress agents as operating factors in formation and functioning of granular aerobic activated sludge at model domestic wastewater treatment.

Maintenance of the wastewater treatment plants and increasing the efficiency of existing aerobic biological reactors depend on the stability of activated sludge characteristics under varying wastewater parameters within significant limits and/or influence of some environmental factors. The steady microbial communities observed in biofilms and anaerobic granules of activated sludge can serve as successful samples of formation of the similar aerobic systems. The granular aerobic sludge obtained in the course of our researches is an ideal "plant" on treatment of biogenic pollution at both low and high concentrations. It demonstrates high ability for treatment and stability to adverse factors. To improve aerobic wastewater treatment characteristics, a possibility of using impact of stress conditions upon activated sludge has been studied. Under conditions of fractional hydrogen peroxide addition at diffused lighting, the granular aerobic activated sludge adapted to hydrogen peroxide has been obtained. This sludge has got good sedimentary properties and it differs from the control sample in the species diversity, improved treatment characteristics and also resistance to the stressor. It also endures an impact of one-time hydrogen peroxide addition up to 1.2-1.5 g H2O2/l. The conditions under which the steady aerobic granules of the diameter from 2 to 5 mm were formed with high treatment ability have been chosen. The granules were being stabilized at passages with hydrogen peroxide treatment and they endured up to 2.4-3.0 g/l of one-time H2O2 addition.