title: Microbial community composition is consistent across anaerobic digesters processing wheat-based fuel ethanol waste streams.
abstract: Biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays were conducted on byproducts from dry-grind wheat-based ethanol plants amended with feedlot manure at two input ratios. Whole stillage (WST), thin stillage (TST) and wet cake (WCK) were tested alone and with 1:1 and 2:1 ratios (VS basis) of byproduct:feedlot manure in bench-scale batch reactors. The addition of manure increased both the rate and consistency of methane production in triplicate reactors. In addition, digesters co-digesting thin stillage and cattle manure at 1:1 and 2:1 stillage:manure produced 125% and 119% expected methane based on the biomethane potential of each substrate digested individually. Bacterial community analysis using universal target amplification and pyrosequencing indicated there was a numerically dominant core of 42 bacteria that was universally present in the reactors regardless of input material. A smaller-scale analysis of the archaeal community showed that both hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogens were present in significant quantities.
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X2, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Town
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Geological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Annand
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Geological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada.
authors.forename: Dyan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X2, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada. Electronic address: tim.dumonceaux@agr.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dumonceaux
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Geological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada.
authors.forename: Terrance
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fonstad
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000254:growth & development*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D044822:Biodiversity; D056804:Biofuels / Q000382:microbiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002417:Cattle; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry*; D018505:Waste Management / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D000431:Ethanol; D008697:Methane
keywords: Quantitative PCR; Thermophilic anaerobic digestion; Thin stillage; Wheat ethanol byproducts; Whole stillage