title: PHA production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW): Overcoming the inhibitory matrix.
abstract: Leachate from the source separated organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was evaluated as a substrate for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production. Initially, the enrichment step was conducted directly on leachate in a feast-famine regime. Maximization of the cellular PHA content of the enriched biomass yielded to low PHA content (29 wt%), suggesting that the selection for PHA-producers was unsuccessful. When the substrate for the enrichment was switched to a synthetic volatile fatty acid (VFA) mixture -resembling the VFA carbon composition of the leachate-the PHA-producers gained the competitive advantage and dominated. Subsequent accumulation with leachate in nutrient excess conditions resulted in a maximum PHA content of 78 wt%. Based on the experimental results, enriching a PHA-producing community in a "clean" VFA stream, and then accumulating PHA from a stream that does not allow for enrichment but does enable a high cellular PHA content, such as OFMSW leachate, makes the overall process much more economically attractive. The estimated overall process yield can be increased four-fold, in comparison to direct use of the complex matrix for both enrichment and accumulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: E.Korkakaki@tudelft.nl.
authors.forename: Emmanouela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Korkakaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulders
authors.affiliation: Attero BV, Vamweg 7, 9418 TM, Wijster, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adrie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veeken
authors.affiliation: Paques BV, T. de Boerstraat 24, 8561 EL, Balk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rozendal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark C M
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: van Loosdrecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Robbert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kleerebezem
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D054813:Polyhydroxyalkanoates / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D062611:Solid Waste
chemical_list: D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D054813:Polyhydroxyalkanoates; D062611:Solid Waste
keywords: Feast-famine; Leachate; Mixed microbial enrichments; Organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW); Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA); Wastewater treatment