Screening of biomethane production potential from dominant microalgae

The use of microalgae for biomethane production has been considerably increasing during the recent years. In this study, four dominant species belonging to the genera Scenedesmus, Chlorella, Dunaliella and Nostoc were selected. The influence of different genera with several morphological, structural and physicochemical characteristics on methane production was assessed in biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests. The ultimate methane yield values were 332 ± 24, 211 ± 2, 63 ± 17 and 28 ± 10 mL CH/g VS for Scenedesmus obliquus, Chlorella sorokiniana, Dunaliella salina and Nostoc sp., respectively. The highest methane production was achieved by microalga species that had no complex cell wall or wall basically composed by proteins and simple sugars such as in S. obliquus, whereas lower methane yields were found for D. salina and Nostoc sp., due to the salinity effects and cell wall composition in terms of complex polysaccharide and glycolipid layers, respectively. Kinetic constant values obtained in the BMP tests ranged between 1.00 ± 0.08 and 0.097 ± 0.005 days for D. salina and S. obliquus, respectively.The authors express their gratitude to Marie Curie's International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (PIRSES-GA-2011-295165) and Junta de Andalucía government (RNM-1970) for providing financial support.Peer Reviewe

Evaluación de 11 genotipos de Megathyrsus maximus para determinar niveles de resistencia al salivazo de los pastos (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) en invernadero.

La producción de ganado es importante en gran número de países a nivel mundial, por tal motivo los esfuerzos de la investigación se han fijado en la producción de mecanismos o metodologías que proporcionen soluciones a mediano y largo plazo para evitar pérdidas a gran escala, es por eso, que en CIAT se evalúan genotipos frente al ataque por salivazo. En el caso de Megathyrsus maximus, no se han reportado daños severos o pérdidas considerables en su producción, sin embargo, en el presente estudio se evalúan algunos genotipos de este género con el objetivo de determinar los niveles de resistencia para una especie de salivazo en particular, Aeneolamia varia

Wastewater nutrient removal in a mixed microalgae bacteria culture: effect of light and temperature on the microalgae bacteria competition

[EN] The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of light intensity and temperature on nutrient removal and biomass productivity in a microalgae¿bacteria culture and their effects on the microalgae¿bacteria competition. Three experiments were carried out at constant temperature and various light intensities: 40, 85 and 125¿µE¿m¿2¿s¿1. Other two experiments were carried out at variable temperatures: 23¿±¿2°C and 28¿±¿2°C at light intensity of 85 and 125¿µE¿m¿2¿s¿1, respectively. The photobioreactor was fed by the effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor. High nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies (about 99%) were achieved under the following operating conditions: 85¿125¿µE¿m¿2¿s¿1 and 22¿±¿1°C. In the microalgae¿bacteria culture studied, increasing light intensity favoured microalgae growth and limited the nitrification process. However, a non-graduated temperature increase (up to 32°C) under the light intensities studied caused the proliferation of nitrifying bacteria and the nitrite and nitrate accumulation. Hence, light intensity and temperature are key parameters in the control of the microalgae¿bacteria competition. Biomass productivity significantly increased with light intensity, reaching 50.5¿±¿9.6, 80.3¿±¿6.5 and 94.3¿±¿7.9¿mgVSS¿L¿1¿d¿1 for a light intensity of 40, 85 and 125¿µE¿m¿2¿s¿1, respectivelyThis research work was possible because of Projects CTM2011-28595-C02-01 and CTM2011-28595-C02-02 [funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness jointly with the European Regional Development Fund and the Generalitat Valenciana GVA-ACOMP2013/203]. This research was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport via a pre doctoral FPU fellowship to the first author [FPU14/05082].Gonzalez-Camejo, J.; Barat, R.; Pachés Giner, MAV.; Murgui Mezquita, M.; Seco Torrecillas, A.; Ferrer, J. (2018). Wastewater nutrient removal in a mixed microalgae bacteria culture: effect of light and temperature on the microalgae bacteria competition. Environmental Technology. 39(4):503-515. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2017.1305001S503515394Giménez, J. B., Robles, A., Carretero, L., Durán, F., Ruano, M. V., Gatti, M. N., … Seco, A. (2011). Experimental study of the anaerobic urban wastewater treatment in a submerged hollow-fibre membrane bioreactor at pilot scale. Bioresource Technology, 102(19), 8799-8806. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2011.07.014Huang, Z., Ong, S. L., & Ng, H. Y. (2011). 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Passalidae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia: synopsis, key, and new species description

Bess beetles (Passalidae) are a subsocial family of Coleoptera with approximately 1000 known species of saproxylophagous diet and pantropical distribution, with few extratropical species. Because of their high levels of endemism (especially in mountains), feeding habits, and complex subsociability; Passalidae is considered an excellent biological subject for taxonomic, biogeographical, and evolutionary studies. Colombia is the richest country with more than 118 recorded species of Passalidae, most of the species being related to humid and mountain areas. Colombia’s Caribbean region constitutes the northern portion of the country, extending for more than 130,000 km2 and includes four of the eight biogeographical provinces of Colombia. Since the 2000s this region has been the subject of systematic surveys for Passalidae; as a result, 18 passalid species have been recorded to date. After new explorations and review of entomological collections, the knowledge of the passalid fauna for the region is updated, recording 28 species (8 new records, 2 new species) for which are provided species diagnoses, photographs, and a taxonomic key. The dry plain, characteristic of the lowlands, is dominated by widely distributed species such as Passalus punctiger and Passalus interstitialis, while the mountainous systems provide species of more restricted distributions, some of them endemic to the Colombian Caribbean