• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.54-62
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• 1997

Disposal of blue crab wastes represents a significant problem to processors, who are limited with respect to acceptable disposal alternatives. Anaerobic bioconversion technology was investigated to determine an environmentally sound and economic disposal method for these wastes. In the study ultimate methane yield for total crab solid waste was $0.180m^3/kg$ VS added and biodegradation rate constant was $0.15day^{-1}$. Methane yield of the bench-scale reactor operated on similar feedstock was $0.189m^3/kg$ VS added and biodegradation rate constant was $0.06day^{-1}$. These results indicate that anaerobic bioconversion of blue crab wastes was technically feasible. Use of anaerobic bioconversion technology can be an attractive option for blue crab processing waste management. The by-product methane gas could be used for maintainign a number of processing operations (i.e., heat for cooking, or keeping temperature of digester constant).

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.115-126
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• 1998

In use of anaerobic bioconversion shellfish wastes present special problems, since the chitinous structures in the shell faction degrade very slowly in an anaerobic environment. Enzymatic pretreatment method was evaluated for improving the anaerobic bioconversion potential of blue crab processing wastes. An enzymatic pretreatment using chitinase enhanced the ultimate methane yield and biodergradation rate constant for total crab solid wastes by 15% and 19% respectively, above those of the untreated wastes. When the enzymatic pretreatment applied to the shell fraction alone, it resulted in increase of 34% in the ultimate methane yield and 38% in the reaction rate. The results indicate that anaerobic bioconversion of these wastes is technically feasible and enzymatic pretreatment will improve the efficiency of the process.

• Prospectives of Industrial Chemistry
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.28-35
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• 2016

천연가스, 셰일가스 및 바이오가스의 주성분인 메탄은 지구온난화 가스로, 감축대상인 동시에 차세대 탄소 자원으로 주목을 받고 있다. 기존의 화학적 메탄전환방법은 대규모 설비투자가 요구되는 규모의 경제가 적용되어 소규모 한계 가스전에는 활용이 어렵다. 이러한 문제점을 극복하기 위하여 최근에 생물학적 전환법이 대안으로 고려되고 있다. 메탄자화균은 메탄산화효소(methane monooxygenase)를 이용하여 상온 상압에서 메탄을 탄소원으로 사용하여 생장할 수 있다. 따라서 메탄자화균의 메탄 대사경로를 기반으로 대사공학을 활용하면 메탄으로부터의 다양한 종류의 고부가가치 산물 생산이 가능하다. 본고에서는 메탄자화균을 이용한 메탄의 바이오전환 기술의 현황 및 전망에 대하여 논의하였다.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.116-120
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• 2003

Type strain, Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, was used to convert methane to methanol. To prevent further oxidation of methanol, NaCl and EDTA were used as inhibitors of methanol dehydrogenase. The reaction temperature was $25^{\circ}C$, and the concentrations of cell and sodium formate added to the reaction mixture were 0.6 mg dry cell wt/ml and 20 mM, respectively. During 12hr reaction, 8 mM methanol was accumulated in the reaction mixture. In this reaction $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values were found to be 532.6 mM and 1.749 mmol/hr, respectively, and the conversion rate was approximately 37%. To increase the concentration of methanol in the medium, a repeated batch reaction was carried out. In this process, methane was injected every eight hours, and the produced methanol concentration was 18 mM.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2098-2105
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• 2016

Massive reserves of methane ($CH_4$) remain unexplored as a feedstock for the production of liquid fuels and chemicals, mainly because of the lack of economically suitable and sustainable strategies for selective oxidation of $CH_4$ to methanol. The present study demonstrates the bioconversion of $CH_4$ to methanol mediated by Type I methanotrophs, such as Methylomicrobium album and Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum. Furthermore, immobilization of a Type II methanotroph, Methylosinus sporium, was carried out using different encapsulation methods, employing sodium-alginate (Na-alginate) and silica gel. The encapsulated cells demonstrated higher stability for methanol production. The optimal pH, temperature, and agitation rate were determined to be pH 7.0, $30^{\circ}C$, and 175 rpm, respectively, using inoculum (1.5 mg of dry cell mass/ml) and 20% of $CH_4$ as a feed. Under these conditions, maximum methanol production (3.43 and 3.73 mM) by the encapsulated cells was recorded. Even after six cycles of reuse, the Na-alginate and silica gel encapsulated cells retained 61.8% and 51.6% of their initial efficiency for methanol production, respectively, in comparison with the efficiency of 11.5% observed in the case of free cells. These results suggest that encapsulation of methanotrophs is a promising approach to improve the stability of methanol production.