Isolation and characterization of Jatropha oildegradation by Enterococcus faecalis and Burkholderia cenocepacia W-1 under anaerobic condition

Ground contamination by oily substances led to several environmental issues. This work focused on the isolation and characterization of micro-organisms which possess the capability of degrading Jatropha oil, a feed stock of biodiesel production, under anaerobic condition. The active isolated strains were tested for morphological, physiological and genotypic characteristics. Based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis, the Enterococcus faecalis and Burkholderia cenocepacia W-1 were selected due to their ability to produce large clear zones. Further studies were carried out for oil degradation using minimal M9 salt media supplemented with 1% Jatropha oil as the sole carbon source. Lipolytic activity assay showed that the highest activity was obtained at 532 U/L. In addition, GC/MS analysis revealed that different compounds from the head space and supernatant included several hydrocarbons. However, free fatty acids formed during hydrolytic activity resulted in the decrease of pH, and also retarded bacterial growth probably due to the toxicity of the fatty acids on the cells. The consequence of this study is the benefit of reduced environmental problems from Jatropha oil contamination as well as obtained useful gaseous biofuels.Key words: Jatropha oil, anaerobic biodegradation, phylogenetic tree, lipolytic activity, hydrocarbons

A membrane bioreactor for biotransformation of terpenes

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Oleaginous yeast, Rhodotorula paludigena CM33, platform for bio-oil and biochar productions via fast pyrolysis

Abstract An oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula paludigena CM33 was pyrolyzed for the first time to produce bio-oil and biochar applying a bench-scale reactor. The strain possessed a high lipid content with the main fatty acids similar to vegetable oils. Prior to pyrolysis, the yeast was dehydrated using a spray dryer. Pyrolysis temperatures in the range of 400–600 °C were explored in order to obtain the optimal condition for bio-oil and biochar production. The result showed that a maximum bio-oil yield of 60% was achieved at 550 °C. Simulated distillation gas chromatography showed that the bio-oil contained 2.6% heavy naphtha, 20.7% kerosene, 24.3% biodiesel, and 52.4% fuel oil. Moreover, a short path distillation technique was attempted in order to further purify the bio-oil. The biochar was also characterized for its properties. The consequence of this work could pave a way for the sustainable production of solid and liquid biofuel products from the oleaginous yeast