• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1101-1107
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• 2015

The role of CRE1 in a thermophilic fungus, Myceliophthora thermophila ATCC42464, was studied using RNA interference. In the cre1-silenced strain C88, the filter paper hydrolyzing activity and β-1,4-endoglucanase activity were 3.76-, and 1.31-fold higher, respectively, than those in the parental strain when the strains were cultured in inducing medium for 6 days. The activities of β-1,4-exoglucanase and cellobiase were 2.64-, and 5.59-fold higher, respectively, than those in the parental strain when the strains were cultured for 5 days. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that the gene expression of egl3, cbh1, and cbh2 was significantly increased in transformant C88 compared with the wild-type strain. Therefore, our findings suggest the feasibility of improving cellulase production by modifying the regulator expression, and an attractive approach to increasing the total cellulase productivity in thermophilic fungi.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.363-367
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• 2006

Food wastes were decomposed into the Mugri (Isung Engineering, Korea), a food waste reduction machine, with adding sawdust of cryptomeria. Degradation effects were better when the machine worked at over 45$^{\circ}C$ than those at the lower temperature. Thermophilic bacteria were isolated from cryptomeria sawdust and the food waste products degraded by the machine. The isolates from cryptomeria sawdust were classified into 3 genera (Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter sp. and Erwinia cypripedii) and almost all the isolates from the degraded products were partially identified as Bacillus sp. by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The isolated thermophilic bacteria showed degradative enzyme activities. In the case of addition of the 30 thermophilic bacteria into the machine, degradation rate of food wastes was almost twice as high with increasing process temperature up to 6$^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.646-649
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• 1999

A thermophilic bacterium producing D-stereospecific dipeptidase was isolated from Korean soil samples. The enzyme hydrolyzed the peptide bond between D-alanyl-D-alanine (D-Ala-D-Ala). The isolated bacterial strain was rod shaped, gram-positive, motile, and formed an endospore. Morphological and physiological characteristics suggested this microorganism a thermophilic Bacillus species, and was named as Bacillus sp. BCS-l. The production of D-stereospecific dipeptidase was growth-associated and optimal at $55^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was applied for the synthesis of D-amino acid-containing peptide, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-aspartyl-D-alanine benzyl ester (Z-L-Asp-D-AlaOBzl), as a model reaction. A thermodynamically controlled synthesis of Z-L-Asp-D-AlaOBzl was achieved in an organic solvent.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 1998

A thermophilic bacterium (strain DG0303) producing a thermostable $\alpha$-glucosidase was isolated from manure and identified as Bacillus sp. Strain DG0303 produced high level of $\alpha$-glucosidase compared with other thermophilic Bacillus strains. The cellular protein patterns were also compared with other Bacillus strains by sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE). On the basis of 16S rDNA analysis the Bacillus sp. DG0303 was found to be a member of Bacillus rDNA group 5. The optimum temperature for growth was 65$\circ$C and no growth was obtained at 40$\circ$C or 75$\circ$C. The optimum pH for growth was 5.5 to 8.5. $\alpha$-glucosidase activity was produced during growth and most activity was detected in the culture supernatant. The $\alpha$-glucosidase production was constitutive in the absence of carbohydrates. High level of enzyme activity was detected when the culture was grown on medium containing starch. Addition of glucose resulted in the repression of the $\alpha$-glucosidase production. The optimum pH and tempoerature for enzyme activity were pH 5.0 and 65$\circ$C, respectively. When analyzed by zymogram, the culture supernatant showed a single $\alpha$-glucosidase band with a molecular weight of approximately 60,000.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.332-339
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• 2019

A comparative study on the anaerobic digestion efficiency according to the temperature change was conducted considering the characteristics of domestic food wastes with high water content of about 80 % or more. The substrate was tested for anaerobic digestion efficiency in two substrates, a liquid component separated naturally from food waste and food waste itself. In the anaerobic digestion experiments, the digestion efficiency was the highest at $55^{\circ}C$ (thermophilic temperature). However, the digestion efficiency at $45^{\circ}C$(middle high temperature) was lower than that at $35^{\circ}C$(mesophilic temperature). The comparison of general food wastes anaerobic digestion requiring 30 days of hydraulic retention time to the liquid component indicated a stable digestion efficiency even after 15 days of hydraulic retention time.In the experiments conducted on food waste, the digestion efficiency at $55^{\circ}C$ was higher than that at $35^{\circ}C$. When the food waste, especially the liquid component originating from food waste, is treated by anaerobic digestion method, the mesophilic temperature and thermophilic temperature conditions are more favorable in the digestion efficiency than the middle high temperature ($45^{\circ}C$). However, when applying thermophilic or mesophilic temperature anaerobic digestion process operation in the field, the amount of energy input should be considered.

• Journal of Korea Society of Waste Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.140-147
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• 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of physical characteristics. Twelve specific odorous compounds and various sources of bacteria were tested via treatment of food waste using an ultra-thermophilic aerobic composting process. Food waste was mixed with seed material and operated for 47 days. During composting, the temperature was maintained at $80-90^{\circ}C$. The variations in $O_2$, $CO_2$ and $NH_3$ production suggested typical microorganism-driven organic decomposition patterns. After composting, the concentrations of 12 specific odorous compounds other than ammonia did not exceed the allowable exhaust limits for odor. After composting, thermophiles represented 50% of all bacteria. After composting, the percentage of thermophile bacterial increased by 15%. Therefore, both stable composting operation and economic benefit can be expected when an ultra-thermophilic composting process is applied to food waste.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2024

The study investigated the effect of thermo-alkaline pretreatment on the solubilization of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and its potential to enhance of thermophilic anaerobic digestion, focusing on biochemical methane potential (BMP) and methane production rate, using two different particle sizes of PHB (1500 ㎛ and 400 ㎛). Thermo-alkaline pretreatment tests were conducted at 90 ℃ for 24 hours with varying NaOH dosages from 0-80% (w/w). BMP tests with untreated PHB exhibited methane production ranging from 150.4~225.4 mL CH₄/g COD and 21.5~24.2 mL CH₄/g VSS/d, indicating higher methane production for smaller particle sizes of PHB, 400 ㎛. Thermo-alkaline pretreatment tests achieved a 95.3% PHB solubilization efficiency when 400 ㎛ PHB particles were treated with 80% NaOH dosage at 90 ℃ for 24 hours. BMP tests with pretreated PHB showed substantial improvement in thermophilic anaerobic digestion, with an increase of up to 112% in BMP and up to 168% in methane production rate. The results suggest that a combined pretreatment process, including physical (400 ㎛ PHB particles) and thermo-alkaline (90 ℃, 40-80% NaOH dosage, and 24 hours reaction time), is required for high-rate thermophilic anaerobic digestion of PHB with enhanced methane production.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2008

Animal carcasses have always been and continue to be a major burden in animal production. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of thermophilic anaerobic digestion for animal carcasses. A batch test using ground meat and organ as the model substrate showed that animal carcasses arehighly biodegradable at thermophilic anaerobic condition. The volatile solids (VS) destruction and $CH_4$ yieldranged from 52.7 to 58.5% and from 220 to 243 mL/g VS, respectively, at initial substrate VS in the range of 1.5~7.7%. However, high ammonia concentration inhibited continuous operation at substrate VS above 2.5%. As ammonia is formed during the degradation of proteineous organic materials, the major constituent of animal carcasses, the only way to reduce the ammonia concentration would be dilution. Co-digestion with other waste stream without high nitrogen content is recommended as an economically feasible approach for thermophilic digestion of animal carcass.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.68-78
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to estimate the identification of thermophilic hacterial with fermentation of pig manure. To identify the characters of thermophilic bacteria related to fermentation at a high temperature condition, we selected 28 different kinds of original settling thermophilic bacteria that were sampled at different 23 areas. They were distributed 1$1{\times}10^5{\sim}10^8CFU$ at medium and the enzyme activity at $55^{\circ}C$ incubation condition, especially cellulase and a-amylase, were higher than those of $30^{\circ}C$. Partial sequencing data for 165 rDNA region were obtained from 28 samples representing 15 different genera. Bacillus subcilis, one of those bacteria, has endodermic spores at high fermented condition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.803-814
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• 2021

A pilot-scale biocover was constructed at a sanitary landfill and the mitigation of methane and odor compounds was compared between the summer and non-summer seasons. The average inlet methane concentrations were 22.0%, 16.3%, and 31.3%, and the outlet concentrations were 0.1%, 0.1%, and 0.2% during winter, spring, and summer, respectively. The odor removal efficiency was 98.0% during summer, compared to 96.6% and 99.6% during winter and spring, respectively. No deterioration in methane and odor removal performance was observed even when the internal temperature of the biocover increased to more than 40℃ at midday during summer. During summer, the packing material simultaneously degraded methane and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) under both moderately thermophilic (40-50℃) and mesophilic conditions (30℃). Hyphomicrobium and Brevibacillus, which can degrade methane and DMS at 40℃ and 50℃, were isolated. The diversity of the bacterial community in the biocover during summer did not decrease significantly compared to other seasons. The thermophilic environment of the biocover during summer promoted the growth of thermotolerant and thermophilic bacterial populations. In particular, the major methane-oxidizing species were Methylocaldum spp. during summer and Methylobacter spp. during the non-summer seasons. The performance of the biocover remained stable under moderately thermophilic conditions due to the replacement of the main species and the maintenance of bacterial diversity. The information obtained in this study could be used to design biological processes for methane and odor removal during summer and/or in subtropical countries.