• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.477-482
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• 2008

A variety of bacterial strains were isolated from waste disposal sites of Uttaranchal, India, and some from artificially developed soil beds containing maleic anhydride, glucose, and small pieces of polyethylene. Primary screening of isolates was done based on their ability to utilize high- and low-density polyethylenes (HDPE/LDPE) as a primary carbon source. Thereafter, a consortium was developed using potential strains. Furthermore, a biodegradation assay was carried out in 500-ml flasks containing minimal broth (250ml) and HDPE/LDPE at 5mg/ml concentration. After incubation for two weeks, degraded samples were recovered through filtration and subsequent evaporation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DTA) were used to analyze these samples. Results showed that consortium-treated HDPE (considered to be more inert relative to LDPE) was degraded to a greater extent (22.41% weight loss) in comparison with LDPE (21.70% weight loss), whereas, in the case of untreated samples, weight loss was more for LDPE than HDPE (4.5% and 2.5%, respectively) at $400^{\circ}C$. Therefore, this study suggests that polyethylene could be degraded by utilizing microbial consortia in an eco-friendly manner.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.441-444
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• 2002

This study was targeted to develope a microbial consortium having high cellulase production. A filamentous fungus, strain FB01, isolated from a compost showed high ${\beta}-glucosidase$ activity especially. The strain FBOl was co-cultured with Trichoderma viride to enhance the productivity of ${\beta}-glucosidase$, changing inoculation time of one strain (FB01). The microbial consortium prepared showed the higher cellulytic enzyme production than T. viride well-known. The maximal enzyme production was obtained when the microbial consortium was cultured at $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0 for 10days and the activities of CMCase, ${\beta}-glucosidase$, and avicelase were 2.0, 0.8, and 0.2 U/mL, respectively. These enzyme activities were 2, 4, and 2 times as high as those of CMCase, ${\beta}-glucosidase$, avicelase from T. viride, respectively, indicating that a synergistic interaction appeared between T viride and strain FB01. The serial subcultures by pH control increased ${\beta}-glucosidase$ production about 3.2 times. Also, enzyme production using rice-straw as a carbon source showed that the activities of CMCase, ${\beta}-glucosidase$, and avicelase were 3.69, 0.76, 0.17 U/mL, respectively, and ${\beta}-glucosidase$ activity was 1.5 times higher than that of T. viride. Consequently, microbial consortium showed the considerabely enhanced production of the cellullolytic enzymes, such as CMCase, ${\beta}-glucosidase$, and avicelase compared those of T. viride, and a favorable stability for the enzyme production even in the serial subcultures.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.381-387
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• 2002

A filamentous fungus, strain FB01 showing high $\beta$-glucosidase activity was isolated from a compost. This fungus was cocultured with Trichoderma viride to enhance the productivity of $\beta$-glucosidase by changing inoculation time of the fungus. The microbial consortium showed higher cellulolytic enzyme production than T. viride alone. The maximal enzyme production was obtained when the microbial consortium was cultured at 30$\^{C}$ and pH 6.0 for 10 days with the activities of CMCase, $\beta$-glucosidase, and avicelase of 2.0, 0.8, and 0.2 U/mL, respectively. These enzyme activities were 2, 4, and 2 times as high as those of CMCase, p-glucosidase, avicelase from T. viride, respectively, indicating that a synergistic interaction appeared between T. viride and strain FBOI . The serial subcultures with pH control increased $\beta$-glucosidase production about 3.2 times. Enzyme production using ricestraw as a carbon source showed that the activities of CMCase, $\beta$-glucosidase, and avicelase were 3.69, 0.76, 0.17 U/mL, respectively, and $\beta$-glucosidase activity was 1.5 times higher than that of T viride.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.83-96
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• 2017

A constructed sea stream in Yeongdo, Busan, Republic of Korea is mostly static due to the lifted stream bed and tidal characters, and receives domestic wastewater nearby, causing a consistent odor production and water quality degradation. Bioaugmentation of a microbial consortium was proposed as an effective and economical restoration technology to restore the polluted stream. The microbial consortium activated on site was augmented on a periodic basis (7~10 days) into the most polluted site (Site 2) which was chosen considering the pollution level and tidal movement. Physicochemical parameters of water qualities were monitored including pH, temperature, DO, ORP, SS, COD, T-N, and T-P. COD and microbial community analyses of the sediments were also performed. A significant reduction in SS, COD, T-N, and COD (sediment) at Site 2 occurred showing their removal rates 51%, 58% and 27% and 35%, respectively, in 13 months while T-P increased by 47%. In most of the test sites, population densities of sulfate reducing bacterial (SRB) groups (Desulfobacteraceae_uc_s, Desulfobacterales_uc_s, Desulfuromonadaceae_uc_s, Desulfuromonas_g1_uc, and Desulfobacter postgatei) and Anaerolinaeles was observed to generally decrease after the bioaugmentation while those of Gamma-proteobacteria (NOR5-6B_s and NOR5-6A_s), Bacteroidales_uc_s, and Flavobacteriales_uc_s appeared to generally increase. Aerobic microbial communities (Flavobacteriaceae_uc_s) were dominant in St. 4 that showed the highest level of DO and least level of COD. These microbial communities could be used as an indicator organism to monitor the restoration process. The alpha diversity indices (OTUs, Chao1, and Shannon) of microbial communities generally decreased after the augmentation. Fast uniFrac analysis of all the samples of different sites and dates showed that there was a similarity in the microbial community structures regardless of samples as the augmentation advanced in comparison with before- and early bioaugmentation event, indicating occurrence of changing of the indigenous microbial community structures. It was concluded that the bioaugmentation could improve the polluted water quality and simultaneously change the microbial community structures via their niche changes. This in situ remediation technology will contribute to an eco-friendly and economically cleaning up of polluted streams of brine water and freshwater.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1280-1290
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• 2014

In order to obtain the cellulolytic bacterial consortia, sediments from Great Basin hot springs (Nevada, USA) were sampled and enriched with cellulosic biomass as the sole carbon source. The bacterial composition of the resulting anaerobic ethanol-producing celluloytic bacterial consortium, named SV79, was analyzed. With methods of the full-length 16S rRNA library-based analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 21 bacteria belonging to eight genera were detected from this consortium. Clones with closest relation to the genera Acetivibrio, Clostridium, Cellulosilyticum, Ruminococcus, and Sporomusa were predominant. The cellulase activities and ethanol productions of consortium SV79 using different agricultural residues (sugarcane bagasse and spent mushroom substrate) and energy crops (Spartina anglica, Miscanthus floridulus, and Pennisetum sinese Roxb) were studied. During cultivation, consortium SV79 produced the maximum filter paper activity (FPase, 9.41 U/ml), carboxymethylcellulase activity (CMCase, 6.35 U/ml), and xylanase activity (4.28 U/ml) with sugarcane bagasse, spent mushroom substrate, and S. anglica, respectively. The ethanol production using M. floridulus as substrate was up to 2.63 mM ethanol/g using gas chromatography analysis. It has high potential to be a new candidate for producing ethanol with cellulosic biomass under anoxic conditions in natural environments.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.191.3-191
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• 2005

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.120-129
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• 2016

An industrial complex in Wonju, contaminated with trichloroethene (TCE), was one of the most problematic sites in Korea. Despite repeated remedial trials for decades, chlorinated ethenes remained as sources of down-gradient groundwater contamination. Recent efforts were being made to remove the contaminants of the area, but knowledge of the indigenous microbial communities and their dechlorination abilities were unknown. Thus, the objectives of the present study were (i) to evaluate the dechlorination abilities of indigenous microbes at the contaminated site, (ii) to characterize which microbes and reductive dehalogenase genes were responsible for the dechlorination reactions, and (iii) to develop a PCE-to-ethene dechlorinating microbial consortium. An enrichment culture that dechlorinates PCE to ethene was obtained from Wonju stream, nearby a trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated industrial complex. The community profiling revealed that known organohalide-respiring microbes, such as Geobacter, Desulfuromonas, and Dehalococcoides grew during the incubation with chlorinated ethenes. Although Chloroflexi populations (i.e., Longilinea and Bellilinea) were the most enriched in the sediment microcosms, those were not found in the transfer cultures. Based upon the results from pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and qPCR using TaqMan chemistry, close relatives of Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains FL2 and GT seemed to be dominant and responsible for the complete detoxification of chlorinated ethenes in the transfer cultures. This study also demonstrated that the contaminated site harbors indigenous microbes that can convert PCE to ethene, and the developed consortium can be an important resource for future bioremediation efforts.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2012

To isolate a nonylphenol (NP)-degrading bacterium, we isolated a single colony from the NP-degrading microbial consortium SW-3, which was previously isolated from an aqueous environment. Ten colonies that exhibited different cell morphologies were isolated and the strains were named SW-3-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, -F1, -F2, -G, -H, and -I. The ability of isolates to degrade NP was evaluated by kinetic analysis by the constant of NP degradation rate ($k_1$) and the half-life time of NP degradation ($t_{1/2}$). SW-3-F1, -F2, -G, and -I strains were superior at degrading NP. The $k_1$ and $t_{1/2}$ values of the four strains were sixfold higher and one-sixth lower, respectively, than those of the consortium strain. Additionally, SW-3-F1, -G, and -I strains were tested for their ability to degrade NP during coculture. NP degradation by coculture with a combination of all three strains was inferior to that of culture conducted with single isolates, suggesting that the three strains are antagonistic toward each other during NP degradation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to estimate the microbial metabolic activity of indigenous soil microbes under the radon exposure with different intensity and times in the secured laboratory radon chamber. For this purpose, the soil microbes were collected from radon-contaminated site located in the G county, Korea. Thereafter, their metabolic activity was determined after the radon exposure of varying radon concentrations of 185, 1,400 and 14,000 Bq/㎥. The average depth variable concentrations of soil radon in the radon-contaminated site were 707, 860 and 1,185 Bq/㎥ from 0, 15, and 30 cm in deep, respectively. Simultaneously, the soil microbial culture was mainly composed of Bacillus sp., Brevibacillus sp., Lysinibacillus sp., and Paenibacillus sp. From the radon exposure test, higher or lower radiation intensities compared to the threshold level attributed the metabolic activity of mixed microbial consortium to be reduced, whereas the moderate radiation intensity (i.e. threshold level) induced it to the pinnacle point. It was decided that radon radiation could instigate the microbial metabolic activity depending on the radon levels while they were exposed, which could consequently address that the certain extent of threshold concentration present in the ecosystem relevant to microbial diversity and population density to be more proliferated.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.110-115
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• 2007

Electrochemically active bacteria were successfully enriched in an electrochemical cell using a positively poised working electrode. The positively poised working electrode (+0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl) was used as an electron acceptor for enrichment and growth of electrochemically active bacteria. When activated sludge and synthetic wastewater were fed to the electrochemical cell, a gradual increase in amperometric current was observed. After a period of time in which the amperometric current was stabilized (generally 8 days), linear correlations between the amperometric signals from the electrochemical cell and added BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) concentrations were established. Cyclic voltammetry of the enriched electrode also showed prominent electrochemical activity. When the enriched electrodes were examined with electron microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy, a biofilm on the enriched electrode surface and bacterium-like particles were observed. These experimental results indicate that the electrochemical system in this study is a useful tool for the enrichment of an electrochemically active bacterial consortium and could be used as a novel microbial biosensor.