Production of bio-fuels (hydrogen and lipids) through a photofermentation process.
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.
Carlozzi
Pietro
P
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
Buccioni
Arianna
A
Minieri
Sara
S
Pushparaj
Benjamin
B
Piccardi
Raffaella
R
Ena
Alba
A
Pintucci
Cristina
C
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
D056804:Biofuels; D006859:Hydrogen