Summary
The hydrolysis and fermentation of cellulose (Avicel) by continuous cultures of Ruminococcus albus strain 7 and Methanobrevibacter smithii strain PS were studied. Cellulose destruction ranged from ca. 22% to 71% for 0.25 to 2.27 days solids retention time, respectively. The cellulose hydrolysis rate constant (k) was 1.3 days−1. Concentrations of soluble reducing sugars were low, showing that cellulose hydrolysis was the rate-limiting step of cellulose fermentation. The estimated methane-based molar growth yield for M. smithii was 2.8 g mol−1. Its maximum specific growth rate was ca. 4 days−1. The dissolved H2 half-saturation constant (K s ) for methanogenesis was ca. 1 μM. The final products of the co-culture were primarily acetate, CH4 and CO2 and low levels of ethanol and H2. The co-culture produced more H2 (used for reduction of CO2 to CH4) and acetate than a monoculture of R. albus. These differences coulb be accounted for by the lower production of ethanol, confirming to the theory of interspecies H2 transfer.
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Pavlostathis, S.G., Miller, T.L. & Wolin, M.J. Cellulose fermentation by continuous cultures of Ruminococcus albus and Methanobrevibacter smithii . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 33, 109–116 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170581
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170581