Microbes play key geoactive roles in the biosphere, particularly in the areas of element biotransformations and biogeochemical cycling, metal and mineral transformations, decomposition, bioweathering, and soil and sediment formation. All kinds of microbes, including prokaryotes and eukaryotes and their symbiotic associations with each other and 'higher organisms', can contribute actively to geological phenomena, and central to many such geomicrobial processes are transformations of metals and minerals. Microbes have a variety of properties that can effect changes in metal speciation, toxicity and mobility, as well as mineral formation or mineral dissolution or deterioration. Such mechanisms are important components of natural biogeochemical cycles for metals as well as associated elements in biomass, soil, rocks and minerals, e.g. sulfur and phosphorus, and metalloids, actinides and metal radionuclides. Apart from being important in natural biosphere processes, metal and mineral transformations can have beneficial or detrimental consequences in a human context. Bioremediation is the application of biological systems to the clean-up of organic and inorganic pollution, with bacteria and fungi being the most important organisms for reclamation, immobilization or detoxification of metallic and radionuclide pollutants. Some biominerals or metallic elements deposited by microbes have catalytic and other properties in nanoparticle, crystalline or colloidal forms, and these are relevant to the development of novel biomaterials for technological and antimicrobial purposes. On the negative side, metal and mineral transformations by microbes may result in spoilage and destruction of natural and synthetic materials, rock and mineral-based building materials (e.g. concrete), acid mine drainage and associated metal pollution, biocorrosion of metals, alloys and related substances, and adverse effects on radionuclide speciation, mobility and containment, all with immense social and economic consequences. The ubiquity and importance of microbes in biosphere processes make geomicrobiology one of the most important concepts within microbiology, and one requiring an interdisciplinary approach to define environmental and applied significance and underpin exploitation in biotechnology.

http://dzumenvis.nic.in/Physiology/pdf/Metals,%20minerals%20and%20microbes.pdf

Metals, minerals and microbes: geomicrobiology and bioremediation

Heterotrophic cultures of microalgae: Metabolism and potential products

Microbial α-amylases: a biotechnological perspective

Geomycology: biogeochemical transformations of rocks, minerals, metals and radionuclides by fungi, bioweathering and bioremediation

Microalgae dewatering is a major obstruction to industrial-scale processing of microalgae for biofuel prodn. The dil. nature of harvested microalgal cultures creates a huge operational cost during dewatering, thereby, rendering algae-based fuels less economically attractive. Currently there is no superior method of dewatering microalgae. A technique that may result in a greater algal biomass may have drawbacks such as a high capital cost or high energy consumption. The choice of which harvesting technique to apply will depend on the species of microalgae and the final product desired. Algal properties such as a large cell size and the capability of the microalgae to autoflocculate can simplify the dewatering process. This article reviews and addresses the various technologies currently used for dewatering microalgal cultures along with a comparative study of the performances of the different technologies.

Dewatering of microalgal cultures : a major bottleneck to algae-based fuels

By 2050, the world would need to produce 1,250 million tonnes of meat and dairy per year to meet global demand for animal-derived protein at current consumption levels. However, growing demand for protein will not be met sustainably by increasing meat and dairy production because of the low efficiency of converting feed to meat and dairy products. New solutions are needed. Single cell protein (SCP), i.e., protein produced in microbial and algal cells, is an option with potential. Much of the recent interest in SCP has focused on the valorisation of side streams by using microorganisms to improve their protein content, which can then be used in animal feed. There is also increased use of mixed populations, rather than pure strains in the production of SCP. In addition, the use of methane as a carbon source for SCP is reaching commercial scales and more protein-rich products are being derived from algae for both food and feed. The following review addresses the latest developments in SCP production from various organisms, giving an overview of commercial exploitation, a review of recent advances in the patent landscape (2001-2016) and a list of industrial players in the SCP field.

/pdf/single-cell-protein-state-of-the-art-industrial-landscape-11aq9dr62d.pdf

Single Cell Protein—State-of-the-Art, Industrial Landscape and Patents 2001–2016

Fungal siderophores: structures, functions and applications

Fusarium venenatum A3/5 was first chosen for development as a myco-protein in the late 1960s. It was intended as a protein source for humans and after 12 years of intensive testing, F. venenatum A3/5 was approved for sale as food by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the United Kingdom in 1984. Today, myco-protein is produced in two 150,000 l pressure-cycle fermenters in a continuous process which outputs around 300 kg biomass/h. The continuous process is typically operated for around 1,000 h. One factor which has limited the length of production runs was the appearance of highly branched mutants in the population. Several factors affect the time of appearance of such mutants and a number of strategies for delaying their appearance have been investigated. After reduction of the RNA content, the fungal biomass is mixed with egg albumin and made into a variety of products. Consumption of these can lead to reduced blood cholesterol and to lower energy intake in a subsequent meal. F. venenatum myco-protein is now used in products available in six European countries and there are plans for it to be sold in France, the United States and Germany.

Myco-protein from Fusarium venenatum: a well-established product for human consumption.

Microbial lipids are a potential source of bio- or renewable diesel and the red yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides is interesting not only because it can accumulate over 50% of its dry biomass as lipid, but also because it utilises both five and six carbon carbohydrates, which are present in plant biomass hydrolysates. R. toruloides was grown in batch and fed-batch cultures in 0.5 L bioreactors at pH 4 in chemically defined, nitrogen restricted (C/N 40 to 100) media containing glucose, xylose, arabinose, or all three carbohydrates as carbon source. Lipid was extracted from the biomass using chloroform-methanol, measured gravimetrically and analysed by GC. Lipid production was most efficient with glucose (up to 25 g lipid L−1, 48 to 75% lipid in the biomass, at up to 0.21 g lipid L−1 h−1) as the sole carbon source, but high lipid concentrations were also produced from xylose (36 to 45% lipid in biomass). Lipid production was low (15–19% lipid in biomass) with arabinose as sole carbon source and was lower than expected (30% lipid in biomass) when glucose, xylose and arabinose were provided simultaneously. The presence of arabinose and/or xylose in the medium increased the proportion of palmitic and linoleic acid and reduced the proportion of oleic acid in the fatty acids, compared to glucose-grown cells. High cell densities were obtained in both batch (37 g L−1, with 49% lipid in the biomass) and fed-batch (35 to 47 g L−1, with 50 to 75% lipid in the biomass) cultures. The highest proportion of lipid in the biomass was observed in cultures given nitrogen during the batch phase but none with the feed. However, carbohydrate consumption was incomplete when the feed did not contain nitrogen and the highest total lipid and best substrate consumption were observed in cultures which received a constant low nitrogen supply. Lipid production in R. toruloides was lower from arabinose and mixed carbohydrates than from glucose or xylose. Although high biomass and lipid production were achieved in both batch and fed-batch cultures with glucose as carbon source, for lipid production from mixtures of carbohydrates fed-batch cultivation was preferable. Constant feeding was better than intermittent feeding. The feeding strategy did not affect the relative proportion of different fatty acids in the lipid, but the presence of C5 sugars did.

/pdf/lipid-production-in-batch-and-fed-batch-cultures-of-3u2qxe8fwk.pdf

Lipid production in batch and fed-batch cultures of Rhodosporidium toruloides from 5 and 6 carbon carbohydrates

Growth and phycocyanin production in batch and fed-batch cultures of the microalga Galdieria sulphuraria 074G, which was grown heterotrophically in darkness on glucose, fructose, sucrose, and sugar beet molasses, was investigated. In batch cultures, specific growth rates and yields of biomass dry weight on the pure sugars were 1.08-1.15 day-1 and 0.48-0.50 g g-1, respectively. They were slightly higher when molasses was the carbon source. Cellular phycocyanin contents during the exponential growth phase were 3-4 mg g-1 in dry weight. G. sulphuraria was able to tolerate concentrations of glucose and fructose of up to 166 g L-1 (0.9 M) and an ammonium sulfate concentration of 22 g L-1 (0.17 M) without negative effects on the specific growth rate. When the total concentration of dissolved substances in the growth medium exceeded 1-2 M, growth was completely inhibited. In carbon-limited fed-batch cultures, biomass dry weight concentrations of 80-120 g L-1 were obtained while phycocyanin accumulated to concentrations between 250 and 400 mg L-1. These results demonstrate that G. sulphuraria is well suited for growth in heterotrophic cultures at very high cell densities, and that such cultures produce significant amounts of phycocyanin. Furthermore, the productivity of phycocyanin in the heterotrophic fed-batch cultures of G. sulphuraria was higher than is attained in outdoor cultures of Spirulina platensis, where phycocyanin is presently obtained.

Marilyn G. Wiebe

Papers

Single Cell Protein—State-of-the-Art, Industrial Landscape and Patents 2001–2016

Fungal siderophores: structures, functions and applications

Myco-protein from Fusarium venenatum: a well-established product for human consumption.

Lipid production in batch and fed-batch cultures of Rhodosporidium toruloides from 5 and 6 carbon carbohydrates

Heterotrophic high cell‐density fed‐batch cultures of the phycocyanin‐producing red alga Galdieria sulphuraria