title: Evaluating the performance of carboxylate platform fermentations across diverse inocula originating as sediments from extreme environments.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that microbial communities from saline and thermal sediment environments are pre-adapted to exhibit superior fermentation performances, 501 saline and thermal samples were collected from a wide geographic range. Each sediment sample was screened as inoculum in a 30-day batch fermentation. Using multivariate statistics, the capacity of each community was assessed to determine its ability to degrade a cellulosic substrate and produce carboxylic acids in the context of the inoculum sediment chemistry. Conductance of soils was positively associated with production of particular acids, but negatively associated with conversion efficiency. In situ sediment temperature and conversion efficiency were consistently positively related. Because inoculum characteristics influence carboxylate platform productivity, optimization of the inoculum is an important and realistic goal.
authors: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2132, USA; Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030-2617, USA.
authors: Julia L
authors: JL
authors: Cope
authors: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2132, USA.
authors: Amy Jo M
authors: AJ
authors: Hammett
authors: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2132, USA.
authors: Elena A
authors: EA
authors: Kolomiets
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122, USA.
authors: Andrea K
authors: AK
authors: Forrest
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122, USA.
authors: Kristina W
authors: KW
authors: Golub
authors: Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2474, USA; Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030-2617, USA.
authors: Emily B
authors: EB
authors: Hollister
authors: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2132, USA.
authors: Thomas J
authors: TJ
authors: DeWitt
authors: Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2474, USA.
authors: Terry J
authors: TJ
authors: Gentry
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122, USA.
authors: Mark T
authors: MT
authors: Holtzapple
authors: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2132, USA. Electronic address: h-wilkinson@tamu.edu.
authors: Heather H
authors: HH
authors: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004777:Environment; D005285:Fermentation / Q000502:physiology*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D002482:Cellulose
keywords: Bioprospecting; Bioscreening; Carboxylate platform; Mixed-acid fermentation; Sediment inocula