title: Mass production of bacterial communities adapted to the degradation of volatile organic compounds (TEX).
abstract: This study focuses on the mass cultivation of bacteria adapted to the degradation of a mixture composed of toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m- and p-xylenes (TEX). For the cultivation process Substrate Pulse Batch (SPB) technique was adapted under well-automated conditions. The key parameters to be monitored were handled by LabVIEW software including, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. Other parameters, such as biomass, ammonium or residual substrate concentrations needed offline measurements. SPB technique has been successfully tested experimentally on TEX. The overall behavior of the mixed bacterial population was observed and discussed along the cultivation process. Carbon and nitrogen limitations were shown to affect the integrity of the bacterial cells as well as their production of exopolymeric substances (EPS). Average productivity and yield values successfully reached the industrial specifications, which were 0.45 kg(DW)m(-3) d(-1) and 0.59 g(DW)g (C) (-1) , respectively. Accuracy and reproducibility of the obtained results present the controlled SPB process as a feasible technique.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, ENAC, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. milena.lapertot@epfl.ch
authors.forename: Miléna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lapertot
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seignez
authors.forename: Sirous
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebrahimi
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delorme
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peringer
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon; D050296:Microbial Viability; D009584:Nitrogen; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014050:Toluene / Q000378:metabolism; D014835:Volatilization; D014992:Xylenes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014992:Xylenes; D014050:Toluene; D002244:Carbon; C004912:ethylbenzene; D009584:Nitrogen