• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.960-968
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• 2003

A bacterial isolate showing a strong endochitosanase activity was isolated from soil and then characterized. The isolate was identified and designated as Bacillus cereus P16, based on morphological and biochemical properties, assimilation tests, cellular fatty acids pattern, along with 16S rRNA gene sequence. The optimized medium for producing extracellular chitosanase in a batch culture contained 1% tryptone, 0.5% chitosan, and 1% NaCl (pH 7.0). Powder chitosan and tryptone served the best as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, for the chitosanase production. Chitosanase activity was the highest when culture was completed at $37^{\circ}C$ among various temperatures ($20-42^{\circ}C$) tested in a shaking incubator (200 rpm). The levels of chitosanase activity in the culture fluid were 2.0 U/ml and 3.8 U/ml, respectively, when incubated in a flask for 60 h and in a jar fermenter for 24 h. The culture supernatant showed a strong liquefying activity on the soluble chitosan. The viscosity of 1% chitosan solution, that was incubated with the culture supernatant, was rapidly decreased, suggesting the secretion of endochitosanolytic enzymes by P16. The culture fluid revealed six endo-type chitosanase isozymes, two major (38 and 45 kD), and four minor (54, 65, 82, and 96 kD) forms by staining profile. The crude enzymes were very stable, and full activity was maintained for 4 weeks at $4^{\circ}C\;or\;-20^{\circ}C$ in the culture supernatant, suggesting a highly desirable stability rate for making an industrial application of the crude enzymes. The supernatant also cleaved the insoluble chitosan powder, but the hydrolysis rate was much lower. The enzymic degradation products of chitosan contained $(GlcN)_n$ (n=2-8). The concentration of chitosan in the reaction mixture of the crude enzyme affected the chitooligosaccharides composition of the hydrolysis products. When the higher concentration of chitosan was used, the higher degree of polymerized chitooligosaccharides were produced. By comparison with other commercial chitosanase preparations, P16 was indeed found to be a valuable enzyme source for industrial production of chitooligosaccharides from chitosan.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.153-163
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• 1997

In order to fad the most fitted biodegradation model, biodegradation kinetics model to the initial phenol and p-cresot concentrations were investigated and had been fitted by the linear regression. Bacteria capable of degrading p-cresol were isolated from soil by enrichment culture technique. Among them, strain Ml capable of degradillg p.rcresol has also degraded phenal and was identified as the genus Micrococcus from the results from of taxonomical studies. The optimal tonditlons for the biodegradation of phenal and p-cresol by Micrococcus sp. Ml were $NH_4NO_3$ 0.05%, pH 7.0, 3$0^{\circ}C$, respectively, and medium volume 100m1/250m1 shaking flask. iwicrococcus sp. Ml was able to grow on phenal concentration up to 14mM and p-cresol concelltration up to 0.8mM. With increasing substrate concentraction, the lag period increased, but the maximum specific growth rates decreased. The yield coefficient decreased with increasing substrate concentation. The biodegradation kinetics of phenol and p-cresol were best described by Monod with growth model for every experimented concentration. In cultivation of mixed substrate, p-cresol was degraded first and phenol was second. This result implies that p-cresol and phenol was not degraded simultaneously.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.494-498
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• 2008

We investigated the bioethanol production using wood biomass hydrolysate which obtained from the supercritical water (SCW) treatment. SCW-treated hydrolysate was used C-source of culture medium in shaking flask culture for bioethanol production. When the concentrated SCW-treated hydrolysate (SCW3) was used, yeast cell growth was slower compared with those in other SCW-treated hydrolysate (SCW1, SCW2). In addition, the bioethanol productions were 0.51 to 0.56 (%,w/v) when SCW1, SCW2, and SCW3 were used. Therefore, we removed the toxic phenolic compound in SCW-treated hydrolysate by pretreatments of activated charcoal and calcium hydroxide. Activated charcoal reduced more efficiently the phenolic compounds in SCW3 by 94.6%. Finally, when we pretreated SCW3 by activated charcoal and this was used for bioethanol production, 0.96 (%,w/v) bioethanol was produced and the ethanol yield based on reducing sugar reached 0.5.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.520-526
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• 2010

In this work we have investigated the production of catalase from Bacillus sp. strains, which were screened and identified from soil. These strains were cultivated in shaking flasks with tryptic soy broth (TSB) at $30^{\circ}C$ and 200 rpm. Effects of the temperature and pH on the stability of the native catalase and whole cell viability were studied in the temperature range of $25-60^{\circ}C$ and the pH range of 7-13. Korean natural zeolite was added to culture medium and mixed with microorganisms for 24 hours. The native catalase maintained its activity over $50^{\circ}C$. The enzyme acitiviy of the catalase from Bacillus flexus BKBChE-3 was highest among the Bacillus sp. strains studied. Bacillus flexus BKBChE-3 and immobilized Bacillus cells have survived under extreme conditions of over $50^{\circ}C$ and pH 12. 60 mL of 10.5 mM $H_2O_2$ solution were entirely removed within 1 hour with catalase produced from Bacillus sp. on the flask. When Bacillus cells were immobilized on Korean natural zeolite, colony forming unit of Bacillus flexus BKBChE-3 was increased and high efficiency of hydrogen peroxide removal was observed.