−− A steady state model of an anaerobic methanogenic biofilm reactor-module that accounts for the biological interactions of four microbial groups, ionic equilibrium in solution, gas-liquid transfer phenomena and biofilm processes is presented. The model consists of a continuous stirred tank reactor type that allocates an inert support material, whose specific surface is taken into account. The...

Three typical biological solid wastes, animal manure, garbage, and sewage sludge, were compared with regard for the composting process and the changes in microbial community structure. The effect of different bulking agents such as rice straw, vermiculite, sawdust, and waste paper were compared in manure compost. The differences in the microbial community were characterized by the quinone profi...

The human intestinal tract is colonized by microbial communities that show a subject-specific composition and a high-level temporal stability in healthy adults. To determine whether this is reflected at the functional level, we compared the faecal metaproteomes of healthy subjects over time using a novel high-throughput approach based on denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and liquid ...

Phylogenetic distances of coexisting species differ greatly within plant communities, but their consequences for decomposers and decomposition remain unknown. We hypothesized that large phylogenetic distance of leaf litter mixtures increases differences of their litter traits, which may, in turn, result in increased resource complementarity or decreased resource concentration for decomposers an...

Biphenyl was successfully degraded by Burkholderia xenovorans LB400, initially described as Pseudomonas sp. LB400, in a solid–liquid wo-phase partitioning bioreactor (TPPB). Solid–liquid TPPBs are comprised of an aqueous, cell containing phase, and a solid polymeric phase hat partitions toxic and/or poorly soluble substrates (in this case biphenyl) based on maintaining a thermodynamic equilibri...

To measure single-cell microbial activity and substrate utilization patterns in environmental systems, we employ a new technique using stable isotope labelling of microbial populations with heavy water (a passive tracer) and (15) N ammonium in combination with multi-isotope imaging mass spectrometry. We demonstrate simultaneous NanoSIMS analysis of hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen at high spatial ...

The potential bioconversion of synthesis gas (syngas) to fuels and chemicals by microbial cell has attracted considerable attention in past decade. The feasibility of enhancing syngas bioconversion to ethanol and acetate using Clostridium ljungdahlii in a continuous tank bioreactor (CSTBR), kinetics and mass transfer coefficient of carbon monoxide (CO) utilization were evaluated. Two different ...