• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.919-929
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• 2020

Aromatic compounds are widely used in the chemical, food, polymer, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries and are produced by mainly chemical synthesis using benzene, toluene, and xylene or by plant extraction methods. Due to many rising threats, including the depletion of fossil fuels, global warming, the strengthening of international environmental regulations, and the excessive harvesting of plant resources, the microbial production of aromatic compounds using renewable biomass is regarded as a promising alternative. By integrating metabolic engineering with synthetic and systems biology, artificial biosynthetic pathways have been reconstituted from L-tryptophan biosynthetic pathway in relevant microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum, enabling the production of a variety of value-added aromatic compounds, such as 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, 7-chloro-L-tryptophan, 7-bromo-L-tryptophan, indigo, indirubin, indole-3-acetic acid, violacein, and dexoyviolacein. In this review, we summarize the characteristics, usage, and biosynthetic pathways of these aromatic compounds and highlight the latest metabolic engineering strategies for the microbial production of aromatic compounds and suitable solution strategies to overcome problems in increasing production titers. It is expected that strain development based on systems metabolic engineering and the optimization of media and bioprocesses using renewable biomass will enable the development of commercially viable technologies for the microbial production of many aromatic compounds.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2022

Research and development of biofuels as one of the means to mitigate global warming and to avoid fossil fuel depletion has occurred for more than 30 years. However, there has only been limited distribution of a few first- and second-generation biofuels, and widespread supply and consumption of biofuels is still far from a reality. Although a relatively recently studied third-generation biofuel derived from seaweed biomass has been shown to have many advantages, it is yet to be deployed in commercial-scale seaweed biorefineries. This review paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of seaweed biorefineries for the entire value chain covering from seaweed and its cultivation to biofuel production based on an extensive literature search and the author's experience of conducting feasibility studies pertaining to seaweed biorefineries for over 10 years. For this purpose, the literature survey will cover the current status of seaweed production and its research and development worldwide, conversion technologies for biofuel production from seaweed based on bench-scale experiments, and large-scale techno-economic feasibility studies for seaweed conversion to biofuels and bioenergy. In addition, the main problems expected with the commercialization of seaweed-based biofuels will be identified. Finally, the current status of seaweed biorefinery technology and the author's views on its promising future will be summarized.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.200-216
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• 2023

Ginkgo leaves are considered waste biomass and can cause problems due to the strong insecticidal actions of ginkgolide A, B, C, and J and bilobalide. However, Ginkgo leaf biomass has high organic matter content that can be converted into fuels and chemicals if suitable technologies can be developed. In this study, the effect of pyrolysis temperature, minimum fluidized velocity, and Ginkgo leaf size on product yields and product properties were systematically analyzed. Fast pyrolysis was conducted in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor at 400 to 550℃ using silica sand as a bed material. The yield of pyrolysis liquids ranged from 33.66 to 40.01 wt%. The CO₂ and CO contents were relatively high compared to light hydrocarbon gases because of decarboxylation and decarbonylation during pyrolysis. The CO content increased with the pyrolysis temperature while the CO₂ content decreased. When the experiment was conducted at 450℃ with a 3.0×U_mf fluidized velocity and a 0.43 to 0.71 mm particle size, the yield was 40.01 wt% and there was a heating value of 30.17 MJ/kg, respectively. The production of various phenol compounds and benzene derivatives in the bio-oil, which contains the high value products, was identified using GC-MS. This study demonstrated that fast pyrolysis is very robust and can be used for converting Ginkgo leaves into fuels and thus has the potential of becoming a method for waste recycling.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.89-91
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• 2000

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds are highly carcinogenic chemicals and common groundwater contaminants that are observed to persist in soils. The adherence and slow release of PAHs in soil is an obstacle to remediation and complicates the assessment of cleanup standards and risks. Biological degradation of PAHs in soil has been an area of active research because biological treatment may be less costly than conventional pumping technologies or excavation and thermal treatment. Biological degradation also offers the advantage to transform PAHs into non-toxic products such as biomass and carbon dioxide. Ample evidence exists for aerobic biodegradation of PAHs and many bacteria capable of degrading PAHs have been isolated and characterized. However, the microbial degradation of PAHs in sediments is impaired due to the anaerobic conditions that result from the typically high oxygen demand of the organic material present in the soil, the low solubility of oxygen in water, and the slow mass transfer of oxygen from overlying water to the soil environment. For these reasons, anaerobic microbial degradation technologies could help alleviate sediment PAH contamination and offer significant advantages for cost-efficient in-situ treatment. But very little is known about the potential for anaerobic degradation of PAHs in field soils. The objectives of this research were to assess: (1) the potential for biodegradation of PAH in field aged soils under denitrification conditions, (2) to assess the potential for biodegradation of naphthalene in soil microcosms under denitrifying conditions, and (3) to assess for the existence of microorganisms in field sediments capable of degrading naphthalene via denitrification. Two kinds of soils were used in this research: Harbor Point sediment (HPS-2) and Milwaukee Harbor sediment (MHS). Results presented in this seminar indicate possible degradation of PAHs in soil under denitrifying conditions. During the two months of anaerobic degradation, total PAH removal was modest probably due to both the low availability of the PAHs and competition with other more easily degradable sources of carbon in the sediments. For both Harbor Point sediment (HPS-2) and Milwaukee Harbor sediment (MHS), PAH reduction was confined to 3- and 4-ring PAHs. Comparing PAH reductions during two months of aerobic and anaerobic biotreatment of MHS, it was found that extent of PAHreduction for anaerobic treatment was compatible with that for aerobic treatment. Interestingly, removal of PAHs from sediment particle classes (by size and density) followed similar trends for aerobic and anaerobic treatment of MHS. The majority of the PAHs removed during biotreatment came from the clay/silt fraction. In an earlier study it was shown that PAHs associated with the clay/silt fraction in MHS were more available than PAHs associated with coal-derived fraction. Therefore, although total PAH reductions were small, the removal of PAHs from the more easily available sediment fraction (clay/silt) may result in a significant environmental benefit owing to a reduction in total PAH bioavailability. By using naphthalene as a model PAH compound, biodegradation of naphthalene under denitrifying condition was assessed in microcosms containing MHS. Naphthalene spiked into MHS was degraded below detection limit within 20 days with the accompanying reduction of nitrate. With repeated addition of naphthalene and nitrate, naphthalene degradation under nitrate reducing conditions was stable over one month. Nitrite, one of the intermediates of denitrification was detected during the incubation. Also the denitrification activity of the enrichment culture from MHS slurries was verified by monitoring the production of nitrogen gas in solid fluorescence denitrification medium. Microorganisms capable of degrading naphthalene via denitrification were isolated from this enrichment culture.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.303-321
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• 2011

The availability and efficient use of the feed resources in Asia are the primary drivers of performance to maximise productivity from animals. Feed security is fundamental to the management, extent of use, conservation and intensification for productivity enhancement. The awesome reality is that current supplies of animal proteins are inadequate to meet human requirements in the face of rapidly depleting resources: arable land, water, fossil fuels, nitrogenous and other fertilisers, and decreased supplies of cereal grains. The contribution of the ruminant sector lags well behind that of non-ruminant pigs and poultry. It is compelling therefore to shift priority for the development of ruminants (buffaloes, cattle, goats and sheep) in key agro-ecological zones (AEZs), making intensive use of the available biomass from the forage resources, crop residues, agro-industrial by-products (AIBP) and other non-conventional feed resources (NCFR). Definitions are given of successful and failed projects on feed resource use. These were used to analyse 12 case studies, which indicated the value of strong participatory efforts with farmers, empowerment, and the benefits from animals of productivity-enhancing technologies and integrated natural resource management (NRM). However, wider replication and scaling up were inadequate in project formulation, including systems methodologies that promoted technology adoption. There was overwhelming emphasis on component technology applications that were duplicated across countries, often wasteful, the results and relevance of which were not clear. Technology delivery via the traditional model of research-extension linkage was also inadequate, and needs to be expanded to participatory research-extension-farmer linkages to accelerate diffusion of technologies, wider adoption and impacts. Other major limitations concerned with feed resource use are failure to view this issue from a farming systems perspective, strong disciplinary bias, and poor links to real farm situations. It is suggested that improved efficiency in feed resource use and increased productivity from animals in the future needs to be cognisant of nine strategies. These include priorities for feed resource use; promoting intensive use of crop residues; intensification of integrated ruminant-oil palm systems and use of oil palm by-products; priority for urgent, wider technology application, adoption and scaling up; rigorous application of systems methodologies; development of adaptation and mitigation options for the effects of climate change on feed resources; strengthening research-extension-farmer linkages; development of year round feeding systems; and striving for sustainability of integrated farming systems. These strategies together form the challenges for the future.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.251-265
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• 2004

The agricultural sector's economic structure in Korea is regarded to encounter major barriers on the way toward revitalizing its economic prosperity. Among many, the energy-related problem is one of prime nuclei embedded in the country's agricultural sector. The ought-to-come structural changes in the country's agricultural energy system hinge upon the central government's policy direction as well as efforts of local governments and local farming community members. The indirect aids via 'cross subsidy' of electricity tariff rate and 'tax-exempt price' of oil fuels are two notable causes of the unsustainable energy consumption pattern in the country's agricultural sector. As measures, demand-side management(DSM) and energy-efficiency promotions are regarded to be the most attractive methods for energy conservation and economic productivity as well. Development of renewable energy sources are also receiving a great deal of attention for the long-term alternatives to the country's existing oil-based agricultural production mode. This study examines the contributive potential of DSM approaches and renewables-based technologies. With the critical evaluation on the concurrent adversities of the country's agricultural energy system, various sources of renewable energy-solar power, wind power, biomass, etc.-are examined for the purpose of technological and economical viability. As sufficient potentials of renewable energy sources are being estimated, both the system production cost and the installation cost for the county's rural areas are expected to lower in the long term. DSM options are also evaluated to be fruitful even in the short term. Both the public and civil arenas must galvanise each side's effort in order to promote these policy options and community potentials.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2010

Trends of the automotive market require the application of new engine technologies, which allows for the use of different types of fuel. Since ethanol is a renewable source of energy and it contributes to lower $CO_2$ emissions, ethanol produced from biomass is expected to increase in use as an alternative fuel. It is recognized that for spark ignition (SI) engines ethanol has advantages of high octane number and high combustion speed. In spite of the advantages of ethanol, fuel supply system might be affected by fuel blends with ethanol like a wear and corrosion of electric fuel pumps. So the on-board hydrogen production out of ethanol reforming can be considered as an alternative plan. This paper investigates the influence of ethanol fuel on SI engine performance, thermal efficiency and emissions. The results obtained from experiments have shown that specific fuel consumption has increased by increasing ethanol amount in the blend whereas decreased by the use of hydrogen-enriched gas. The combustion characteristics with hydrogen-enriched gaseous fuel from ethanol reforming are also examined.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.152-159
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• 2017

Rockfish was a commercially important fish specie in marine ranching areas in Korea. To estimate density and biomass of rockfish using acoustic method, target strength (TS) information is required on the species. This study measured TS dependence on tilt angle and size on 14 live rockfish individuals at 38, 70, and, 120 kHz by ex-situ measurement (tethered method) and acoustic scattering model (Krichhoff ray mode, KRM). The swimbladdered angle ranged from 18 to $30^{\circ}$ ($mean{\pm}s.d.=26{\pm}4^{\circ}$). The mean TS for all individuals was highest -35.9 dB of tilt angle $-17^{\circ}$ at 38 kHz, -35.4 dB of tilt angle $-25^{\circ}$ at 70 kHz, and -34.9 dB of tilt angle $-22^{\circ}$ at 120 kHz. The ex-situ TS-total length (TL, cm) relationships were $TS_{38kHz}=20log_{10}(TL)-67.1$, $TS_{70kHz}=20log_{10}(TL)-68.6$, and $TS_{120kHz}=20log_{10}(TL)-69.9$, respectively. The model TS-total length (TL, cm) relationships were $TS_{38kHz}=20log_{10}(TL)-66.4$, $TS_{70kHz}=20log_{10}(TL)-67.0$, $TS_{120kHz}=20log_{10}(TL)-67.0$. The two measurements between the ex-situ TS and KRM model for TS-tilt angle and fish size were found to be significantly correlated.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.115-122
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• 2014

As a demand for an automobile increases, air pollution and a problem of the energy resources come to the fore in the world. Consequently, governments of every country established ordinances for green-house gas reduction and improvement of air pollution problem. Especially, as international oil price increases, engine using clean energy are being developed competitively with alternative transportation energy sources development policy as the center. Bio ethanol, one of the renewable energy produced from biomass, gained spotlight for transportation energy sources. Studies are in progress to improve fuel supply methods and combustion methods which are key features, one of the engine technologies. DI(Direct Injection), which can reduce fuel consumption rate by injecting fuel directly into the cylinder, is being studied for Green-house gas reduction and fuel economy enhancement at SI(Spark Ignition). GDI(Galoine Direct Injection) has an advantage to meet the regulations for fuel efficiency and $CO_2$ emissions. However it produces increased number of ultrafine particles, that yet received attention in the existing port-injection system, and NOX. As fuel is injected into the cylinder with high-pressure, a proper injection strategy is required by characteristics of a fuel. Especially, when alcohol type fuel is considered. In this study, we tried to get a base data bio-ethanol mixture in GDI, and combustion for optimization. We set fuel mixture rate and fuel injection pressure as parameters and took a picture with a high speed camera after gasoline-ethanol mixture fuel was injected into a constant volume combustion chamber. We figured out spraying characteristic according to parameters. Also, we determine combustion characteristics by measuring emissions and analyzing combustion.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.791-802
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• 2014

Energy shortage is being exacerbated due to the increase of energy consumption and depletion of fossil fuels. In order to release the energy crisis, new types of energy resources such as small hydropower, solar power, wind power and biomass have been already developed or actively researched. Recently, osmotic power, which harvests energy from salinity gradient between seawater and fresh water, is considered as a feasible candidate. Among the osmotic power processes, pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is widely gaining attention because of no emission of carbon dioxide and less sensitivity to the external environmental conditions. However, PRO process is facing difficulties such as the lack of specialized PRO membrane and optimization technologies. Therefore, PRO was reviewed in this paper in terms of theoretical background, membrane development, process development and fouling mechanism to provide insights and suggest the future direction of PRO research.