Browsing by Author "Pornthap Thanonkeo"
  • Item
    Biofilm production by Zymomonas mobilis enhances ethanol production and tolerance to toxic inhibitors from rice bran hydrolysate
    ( 2014) Tatsaporn Todhanakasem ; Atit Sangsutthiseree ; Kamonchanok Areerat ; Young, Glenn M. ; Pornthap Thanonkeo
    Microorganisms play a significant role in bioethanol production from lignocellulosic material. A challenging problem in bioconversion of rice bran is the presence of toxic inhibitors in lignocellulosic acid hydrolysate. Various strains of Zymomonas mobilis (ZM4, TISTR 405, 548, 550 and 551) grown under biofilm or planktonic modes were used in this study to examine their potential for bioconversion of rice bran hydrolysate and ethanol production efficiencies. Z. mobilis readily formed bacterial attachment on plastic surfaces, but not on glass surfaces. Additionally, the biofilms formed on plastic surfaces steadily increased over time, while those formed on glass were speculated to cycle through accumulation and detachment phases. Microscopic analysis revealed that Z. mobilis ZM4 rapidly developed homogeneous biofilm structures within 24 hours, while other Z. mobilis strains developed heterogeneous biofilm structures. ZM4 biofilms were thicker and seemed to be more stable than other Z. mobilis strains. The percentage of live cells in biofilms was greater than that for planktonic cells (54.32 7.10% vs. 28.69 3.03%), suggesting that biofilms serve as a protective niche for growth of bacteria in the presence of toxic inhibitors in the rice bran hydrolysate. The metabolic activity of ZM4 grown as a biofilm was also higher than the same strain grown planktonically, as measured by ethanol production from rice bran hydrolysate (13.40 2.43 g/L vs. 0.432 0.29 g/L, with percent theoretical ethanol yields of 72.47 6.13% and 3.71 5.24% respectively). Strain TISTR 551 was also quite metabolically active, with ethanol production by biofilm and planktonically grown cells of 8.956 4.06 g/L and 0.0846 0.064 g/ L (percent theoretical yields were 48.37 16.64% and 2.046 1.58%, respectively). This study illustrates the potential for enhancing ethanol production by utilizing bacterial biofilms in the bioconversion of a readily available and normally unusable low value by-product of rice farming.
  • Item
    Development of corn silk as a biocarrier for Zymomonas mobilis biofilms in ethanol production from rice straw
    ( 2016) Tatsaporn Todhanakasem ; Rashmi Tiwari ; Pornthap Thanonkeo
    Z. mobilis cell immobilization has been proposed as an effective means of improving ethanol production. In this work, polystyrene and corn silk were used as biofilm developmental matrices for Z. mobilis ethanol production with rice straw hydrolysate as a substrate. Rice straw was hydrolyzed by dilute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and enzymatic hydrolysis. The final hydrolysate contained furfural (271.95 ± 76.30 ppm), 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (0.07 ± 0.00 ppm), vanillin (1.81 ± 0.00 ppm), syringaldehyde (5.07 ± 0.83 ppm), 4- hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HB) (2.39 ± 1.20 ppm) and acetic acid (0.26 ± 0.08%). Bacterial attachment or biofilm formation of Z. mobilis strain TISTR 551 on polystyrene and delignified corn silk carrier provided significant ethanol yields. Results showed up to 0.40 ± 0.15 g ethanol produced/g glucose consumed when Z. mobilis was immobilized on a polystyrene carrier and 0.51 ± 0.13 g ethanol produced/ g glucose consumed when immobilized on delignified corn silk carrier under batch fermentation by Z. mobilis TISTR 551 biofilm. The higher ethanol yield from immobilized, rather than free living, Z. mobilis could possibly be explained by a higher cell density, better control of anaerobic conditions and higher toxic tolerance of Z. mobilis biofilms over free cells.
  • Item
    Fermentation of rice bran hydrolysate to ethanol using Zymomonas mobilis biofilm immobilization on DEAE-cellulose
    ( 2015) Tatsaporn Todhanakasem ; Tipong Narkmit ; Kamonchanok Areerat ; Pornthap Thanonkeo
    Background: The major challenges associated with the fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates are the reduction in the operating cost and minimizing the complexity of the process. Zymomonas mobilis biofilm has been emerged to resolve these complexities. Biofilm has been reported to tolerate to the toxic inhibitors and easily manipulated toward the cell recycle through the cell immobilization. Results: Z.mobilisZM4 and TISTR 551were able to develop biofilms onDEAE cellulose under the differences in the morphologies. Z. mobilis ZM4 developed homogeneous biofilm that brought DEAE fiber to be crosslinking, while Z. mobilis TISTR 551 developed heterogeneous biofilm in which crosslinking was not observed. Ethanol production under batch and repeated batch fermentation of rice bran hydrolysate containing toxic inhibitors were compared between these two biofilms. TISTR 551 biofilm produced the maximum yield (YP/S) of 0.43 ± 0.09 g ethanol/g glucose (83.89% theoretical yield). However the repeated batch could not be proceeded due to the bacterial detachment. Z. mobilis ZM4 biofilm produced the maximum yield (YP/S) of 0.177 ± 0.05 g ethanol/g glucose (34.74% theoretical yield) in the batch culture and the biofilm remained intact to proceed along the repeated batch. The highest ethanol yield (YP/S) in the repeated batch of Z. mobilis ZM4 was 0.354 ± 0.07 g ethanol/g glucose (69.51% theoretical yield). Conclusions: Homogeneous biofilm structure of Z. mobilis provided more recycle beneficial over the heterogeneous biofilm structure for the ethanol production from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.