• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.333-338
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• 2017

Cellulosic alcohol fermentation has recently gained more attention in the production of ethanol, butanol, and 2,3-butanediol. However, it was revealed that the process had several hurdles, such as, an expensive cost for biomass decomposition to yield fermentable sugars and a production of byproduct lignin. As an alternative for the process through biomass saccharification, the alcohol production through syngas from biomass has been studied. In this study, we reviewed acetogen and its central metabolic pathway, Wood-Ljungdahl route, capable of utilizing syngas. Furthermore, the metabolic engineering strategies of acetogen for bio-alcohol production from syngas was also reviewed with a brief perspective.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.581-584
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• 2019

In this study, the carbon monoxide (CO)-fermenting acetogen, Clostridium sp. AWRP was subjected to chemical mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) to generate a CO-resistant mutant. Among the 26 colonies obtained, the highest alcohol production was observed in one isolate, named C1. Compared to the wild-type strain, the C1 strain exhibited 1.5- and 3.4-fold higher CO consumption rate and alcohol selectivity, respectively. The total CO consumption of strain C1 could be further enhanced by increasing the content of metal ions, such as nickel and iron. The highest ethanol titer (5.7 g/l) was achieved by 5-fold increase in the iron concentration.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1997

Carbon monoxide (CO)-utilizing acetogens were enriched and KIST612 isolated from anaerobic digester fluid was selected for its abilities to tolerate high CO and acetate concentration. The isolate KIST612 was identified as Eubacterium limosum based on the morphological and biochemical characteristics, G+C content of DNA and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. E. limosum KIST612 produced acetate and butyrate from CO. The optimum temperature and pH for the growth and acids formations were 37$\cdot $C and 7.0, respectively. The growth rate and acids productivity of E. limosum KIST612 were higher than those of any other known acetogens when CO was used as the sole energy and carbon source.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

This study was designed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of reductive acetogens isolated from ruminants on methane mitigation, and milk performance, respectively. Four acetogens, Proteiniphilum acetatigenes DA02, P. acetatigenes GA01, Alkaliphilus crotonatoxidans GA02, and P. acetatigenes GA03 strains were isolated from ruminants and used in in vitro experiment. A control (without acetogen) and a positive group (with Eubacterium limosum ATCC 8486) were also included in in vitro experiment. Based on higher acetate as well as lower methane producing ability in in vitro trial, P. acetatigenes GA03 was used as inoculum for in vivo experiment. Holstein dairy cows (n = 14) were divided into two groups viz. control (without) and GA03 group (diet supplied with P. acetatigenes GA03 at a feed rate of 1% supplementation). Milk performance and blood parameters were checked for both groups. In in vitro, the total volatile fatty acids and acetate production were higher (p < 0.05) in all 4 isolated acetogens than the control and positive treatment. Also, all acetogens significantly lowered (p < 0.05) methane production in comparison to positive and control groups however, GA03 had the lowest (p < 0.05) methane production among 4 isolates. In in vivo, the rate of milk yield reduction was higher (p < 0.05) in the control than GA03 treated group (5.07 vs 2.4 kg). Similarly, the decrease in milk fat was also higher in control (0.14% vs 0.09%) than treatment. The somatic cell counts (SCC; ×10³/mL) was decreased from 128.43 to 107.00 in acetogen treated group however, increased in control from 138.14 to 395.71. In addition, GA03 increased blood glucose and decreased non-esterified fatty acids. Our results suggest that the isolated acetogens have the potential for in vitro methane reduction and P. acetatigenes GA03 strain could be a candidate probiotic strain for improving milk yield and milk fat in lactating cows with lowering SCCs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 1998

Eubacterium limosum KIST612 was cultured on phosphate-buffered basal medium (PBBM) with carbon monoxide (CO) as the sole energy and carbon source. The initial growth rate of this strain was approximately 0.17~0.25 $h^-1$/ and the $K_s$ value for dissolved substrate was 0.14 mM. CO was limiting during the growth of the bacterium when the CO partial pressure was less than 0.6 atm (0.5 mM dissolved CO). The bacterial growth rate was reduced in the presence of acetate. When sufficient CO was supplied using a gas-lift reactor, the acetate concentration went up to 90 mM in 116 h. Based on these findings, it is suggested that a pressurized reactor be used to develop a process to convert CO-rich gases into multi-carbon compounds.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2009

Acetogen과 같은 일부 혐기성미생물은 소위 acetyl-CoA 경로에 의해 아세트산, 에탄올, 그리고 몇 가지 생화학 물질을 생산한다. 이 경로에서는 일산화탄소를 기질로 이용할 수 있다. 일산화탄소 이외에 수소가 이용될 수 있다. 즉 이들 미생물은 독립영양생물로서 이산화탄소와 태양광에너지를 이용하는 녹색식물과 비유될 수 있으며, 일산화탄소는 탄소원으로서 동시에 에너지원으로서 이용된다. 본 연구에서는 혐기성 소화액 중 아세트산을 생성하는 미생물이 존재한다고 가정하고, 일산화탄소와 수소가 주 가연성분인 합성가스를 공급하면 추가의 메탄이 생성가능성을 평가하였다. 혐기성 소화과정에서 발생되는 메탄은 주로 아세트산으로부터 만들어지므로 일산화탄소를 공급하는 경우 추가로 메탄이 생성될 것으로 추측할 수 있기 때문이다. 이를 확인하기 위하여 현재 운영중인 바이오가스 생산 설비로부터 얻은 혐기성 소화액을 생물반응조에 넣은 후, 합성가스를 순환-공급하여 가스 생산량의 변화 및 조성을 분석하였다. 질소가스를 공급한 대조구와는 달리 일산화탄소 또는 합성가스를 공급한 경우에는 메탄가스가 생산되는 것을 확인하였다. 질소가스를 공급한 대조구와는 달리 일산화탄소 또는 합성가스를 공급한 경우에는 메탄가스가 생산되는 것을 확인하였다. 일산화탄소만을 공급했을 때에는 이산화탄소의 생성으로 가스 생산량이 증가하였으나, 수소가 포함된 합성가스를 공급하였을 때에는 이산화탄소가 탄소원이로 소비되어 가스 저장도 내의 가스량이 감소하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 가스화공정에 으해 얻어지는 합성가스는 온도와 가스 조성을 고러할 때, 바이오가스 생산을 위한 혐기성 소화조와 연계하면 소화조의 가온에 필요한 열을 공급할 수 있고 바이오가스 중 이산화탄소 농도를 낮추어 발열량을 개선할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1907-1913
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• 2019

Objective: Homoacetogens play important roles in the production of acetate in the large intestine of monogastric mammals. However, their diversity in the porcine large intestine is still unknown. Marker gene analysis was performed to assess the effects of energy level on the diversity and population densities of homoacetogens in porcine feces. Methods: Crossbred pigs were fed high or low energy-level diets. The high-intake (HI) diet was sufficient to allow a daily gain of 1.2 kg. The low-intake (LI) diet provided 0.6 times the amount of energy as the HI diet. Genetic diversity was analyzed using formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase gene (FHS) clone libraries derived from fecal DNA samples. FHS DNA copy numbers were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: A wide variety of FHS sequences was recovered from animals in both treatments. No differences in FHS clone libraries between the HI and LI groups were found. During the experimental period, no significant differences in the proportion of FHS copy numbers were observed between the two treatment groups. Conclusion: This is the first reported molecular diversity analysis using specific homoacetogen marker genes from the large intestines of pigs. There was no observable effect of feed intake on acetogen diversity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2016

Marine bacteria have represented unique physiologies and products which are not discovered from terrestrial organisms. There has been great interest to utilize and develop marine bacteria in many industrial sectors. Recently, we isolated and characterized anaerobic bacteria from various marine environments in Korea to search organic acids fermenting strains. From our enrichment performed under anaerobic condition, 65 strains were isolated and identified by the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Among them, eleven strains were selected for phylogenetical and biochemical analysis. All tested strains were affiliated with Class Clostridia except one with Class Bacteroidia. Most of strains produce acetate (6 strains) with butyrate (2 strains) and/or formate (4 strains). Strain MCWD5 transformed 40% of glucose to extracellular polymeric substances. These results indicate that many novel anaerobic microorganisms which have great potential in commercial application are distributed in the marine environments of Korean Peninsula.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.35-45
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• 2023

Global efforts are focused on achieving carbon neutrality due to the increases in the levels of greenhouse gases. Moreover, the greenhouse gases generated from the disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) are the primary sources of emissions in South Korea. In this study, we conducted the biological conversion of syngas (CO, H₂, and CO₂) generated from MSW gasification. The MSW-derived syngas was used as a feed source for cultivating Eubacterium limosum KIST612, and pressurization was employed to enhance gas solubility in culture broth. However, the pH of the medium decreased owing to the pressurization because of the CO₂ in the syngas and the cultivation-associated organic acid production. The replacement of conventional HEPES buffer with a phosphate buffer led to an approximately 2.5-fold increase in acetic acid concentration. Furthermore, compared with the control group, the pressurized reactor exhibited a maximum 8.28-fold increase in the CO consumption rate and a 3.8-fold increase in the H2 consumption rate.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.679-688
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• 1994

Physicochemical and morphological characteristics of biopellets produced in "control" and modified UASB reactor were investigated to compare the reactor performance with regard to the hydrogen partial pressure. The characteristics of biopellet produced in modified UASB reactor operated with high hydrogen partial pressure were better than those of "control" reactor operated with relatively lower hydrogen partial pressure, therefore the hydrogen partial pressure effected greatly on the formation and stability of the biopellet. Furthermore, pellets from the UASB system with modified settler showed a better settleability and biomass holding capacity. The chemical composition of biopellet was distinctively different from that of common bacterial formula, $C_5H_7O_2N$. Biopellets was composed the large fraction of nitrogen in comparison with common anaerobic microbes. These results implicated the existence possibility of polypeptide-type extracellular polymer. The morphological characterization with SEM showed that microorganisms observed at surface of biopellet produced in modified UASB reactor operated with high $P_{H_2}$ condition were very similar in shape and size to the Methanobrevibactor arboriphilus-$H_2$ utilizing methanogen. The microorganisms was distinguished from those of "control" reactor operated with low $P_{H_2}$ condition. From these results, it could be explained the hydrogen partial pressure effects on pelletization mechanism.