title: Production of bio-fuels (hydrogen and lipids) through a photofermentation process.
abstract: The purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria Rhodopseudomonas palustris (strain 42OL) was investigated for a co-production of both bio-H(2) and biodiesel (lipids). The investigation was carried out using malic and glutamic acids in a fed-batch cultivation system under continuous irradiances of 36, 56, 75, 151, 320, 500, and 803 W m(-2). Boltzmann's sigmoidal regression model was used to determine growth kinetic parameters during hydrogen photoevolution. The upper limit of volumetric hydrogen photoevolution was 15.5 + or - 0.9 ml l(-1) h(-1). During the entire cultivation period (408 h), the highest average hydrogen production rate (HPR(av)) of 11.1 + or - 3.1 ml l(-1) h(-1) was achieved at an irradiance of 320 W m(-2). Biomasses stored at the end of each experimental set were analyzed in order to determine lipid content, which ranged from a minimum of 22 + or - 1% to a maximum of 39 + or - 2% of biomass dry weight.
authors.affiliation: Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi, Sede di Firenze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Polo Scientifico, Via Madonna del Piano n. 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy. p.carlozzi@ise.cnr.it
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carlozzi
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buccioni
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minieri
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pushparaj
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piccardi
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ena
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pintucci
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D005285:Fermentation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008027:Light; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018462:Photobiology / Q000379:methods*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012241:Rhodopseudomonas / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D006859:Hydrogen