title: Biological pre-treatment: Enhancing biogas production using the highly cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma viride.
abstract: With regard to renewable sources of energy, bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass has long been recognized as a desirable endeavor. However, the highly heterogeneous structure of lignocellulose restricts the exploitation of its promising potential in biogas plants. Hence, effective pre-treatment methods are decisive prerequisites to overcome these challenges in order to improve the utilization ratio of (ligno) cellulosic substrates during fermentation. In the present study, the application of Trichoderma viride in an aerobic upstream process prior to anaerobic digestion led up to a threefold increase in the yield of methane and total gas in a lab-scale investigation. Due to its highly efficient cellulolytic activities, T. viride seemed to be responsible for an improved nutrient availability that positively influenced the anaerobic microbiocenosis. Aerobic pre-treatment of organic matter with T. viride is therefore a promising solution to achieve higher methane yields and degradation performances without any additional energy demand, nor undesired by-product inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: Mira.Mutschlechner@uibk.ac.at.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mutschlechner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Illmer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas Otto
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D004777:Environment; D005285:Fermentation; D005740:Gases; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry; D008697:Methane / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005740:Gases; C036909:lignocellulose; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin; D008697:Methane
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Biogas; Biological pre-treatment; Lignocellulose; Methane; Trichoderma viride