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Microbial communities from 20 different hydrogen-producing reactors studied by 454 pyrosequencing

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Abstract

To provide new insight into the dark fermentation process, a multi-lateral study was performed to study the microbiology of 20 different lab-scale bioreactors operated in four different countries (Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay). Samples (29) were collected from bioreactors with different configurations, operation conditions, and performances. The microbial communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA genes 454 pyrosequencing. The results showed notably uneven communities with a high predominance of a particular genus. The phylum Firmicutes predominated in most of the samples, but the phyla Thermotogae or Proteobacteria dominated in a few samples. Genera from three physiological groups were detected: high-yield hydrogen producers (Clostridium, Kosmotoga, Enterobacter), fermenters with low-hydrogen yield (mostly from Veillonelaceae), and competitors (Lactobacillus). Inocula, reactor configurations, and substrates influence the microbial communities. This is the first joint effort that evaluates hydrogen-producing reactors and operational conditions from different countries and contributes to understand the dark fermentation process.

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Acknowledgments

This work was performed in the frame of the Bio-hydrogen Latin America network. The following projects and institutions funded this work: ANII project FSE 6437 and FSE 102488 (Uruguay), SEP-CONACYT 240087 (UNAM, México), PAPIIT project IT 100113 (DGAPA-UNAM, México), SEP-CONACYT 132483 (IPICYT, México), KBBE-7PM GRAIL 613667 (Chile). L.F. and J.W. are funded by ANII-Uruguay grants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbial Ecology Laboratory, BioGem Department, Biological Research Institute Clemente Estable, Ministery of Education, Av. Italia, 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Claudia Etchebehere, Jorge Wenzel & Laura Fuentes

  2. BioProA Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Institute, Engineering Faculty, University of the Republic, Herrera y Reissing, 565, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Elena Castelló & Liliana Borzacconi

  3. Biological Processes Laboratory, Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Environmental Engineering, São Carlos School of Engineering (EESC), University of São Paulo (USP), Engenharia Ambiental—Bloco 4-F, Av. João Dagnone, 1100—Santa Angelina 13.563-120, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Mélida del Pilar Anzola-Rojas, Vivian María Carminato & Marcelo Zaiat

  4. Laboratory for Research on Advanced Processes for Water Treatment, Unidad Académica Juriquilla, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd. Juriquilla 3001, 76320, Querétaro, Mexico

    Germán Buitrón, Julian Carrillo-Reyes & Iván Moreno-Andrade

  5. Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Escuela de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile, Avenida Brasil, 2085, Valparaíso, Chile

    Lea Cabrol, Gonzalo Ruiz Filippi, Estela Tapia-Venegas & Javiera Toledo-Alarcón

  6. División de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A.C. (IPICYT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Lomas 4ª. Sección, 78216, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico

    Julian Carrillo-Reyes, Crhistian Cisneros-Pérez & Elías Razo-Flores

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  1. Claudia Etchebehere
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  2. Elena Castelló
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Correspondence to Claudia Etchebehere.

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Etchebehere, C., Castelló, E., Wenzel, J. et al. Microbial communities from 20 different hydrogen-producing reactors studied by 454 pyrosequencing. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100, 3371–3384 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-7325-y

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