Potentiality of Cynara cardunculus L. as energy crop

Special Abstracts / Journal of Biotechnology 150S (2010) S1–S576

[P-B.74] Challenging metabolic engineering concepts to industrial conditions: The modifications in redox metabolism of S. cerevisiae for bioethanol E.V.S. Pereira, R.S.G. dos Anjos, A.C.M. Basilio, F.C.B. Leite, M.A. Morais ∗ , D.A. Simoes Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil Keywords: Bioethanol; Metabolic engineering; Fermentation; Redox metabolism The increasing demand for bioethanol worldwide induces many efforts for increasing its production, and the metabolic engineering of yeast cells is one alternative for increasing fermentation yield. At industrial conditions, ethanol yield is in the range of 90% of the maximal due to side production of glycerol, biomass and small amounts of organic acids. Thus, metabolic engineering strategies have been focus on the decrease of glycerol, the major batch fermentation by-product, in order to increase ethanol production. Recombinant strains of S. cerevisiae cells for different metabolic engineering strategies were submitted to fermentation assays in different medium carbon/nitrogen ratio, using high biomass and oxygen limitation. Three strategies were tested. The first was based on the modification of ammonia assimilation by changing the NADPH-dependent GDH1 pathway by ATP-consuming NADHdependent GS-GOGAT pathway (Nissen et al 2000). The second strategy attempt to by-pass the yeast NAD-dependent glutaraldehyde 3-P dehydrogenase by a bacterial NADP-dependent enzyme expressing the gapN gene (Bro et al, 2006). And in the third strategy, yeast cells expressed the bacterial gene encoding NADdependent alanine dehydrogenase. Both laboratory and industrial strains were modified. The results corroborated the published metabolic effect under laboratory medium composition. However, when the substrate was changed to composition closer to those found in industrial sugar cane juice the genetic modifications hardly produced the expected effect on ethanol yield. Only cells with lower growth rates (over-expressing gapN or deleted for gdh1) produced significantly more ethanol and less glycerol than their parental. However, as we already know, such low growing cell might not be stable under hard environmental conditions (Silva-Filho et al 2005). Another important question to be raised is the fact that industrial strains are already much close to maximal theoretical yield, so that measuring small changes at high cell density and high sugar content can be a difficult task. doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.08.427 [P-B.75] Optimization of biogas production with bioconversion of organic solid wastes (manure) and food industry wastes S. Curcio ∗ , V. Calabro’, M. Aversa, E. Ricca, S. Sansonetti, G. Iorio University of Calabria - Department of Engineering Modeling - RENDE (CS), Italy Keywords: Biogas; Anaerobic digestion; Modeling; Optimization The production of biogas from organic solid waste represents a challenge for the production of energy from biomass. Biogas represents an example of fuel gas obtained by biomass anaerobic fermentation of manure, sewage sludge, biodegradable wastes and municipal wastes. Due the amount of waste, biogas production represents a very promising way to solve the problem of waste treatment thanks to the production of bio-energy, as thermal as electric. Further-

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more, the solid residuals of fermentation might be reused as fertilizers. Aim of this paper was the optimization of biogas production in a pilot-scale fermentor where mixture of solid organic and vegetable residuals are tested. Different food waste have been used as co-substrate, such as olive mills wastes (namely wastewaters and husks), orange juice production residuals (like peels, also named “pastazzo”), cheese whey, potato residuals. The amount of biogas and its composition have been related to the operating parameters of temperature, mixing rate and conditions, organic solids and vegetable residuals feed mass ratio. Experimental results obtained at both laboratory and pilot scale permitted to estimate the optimal feed composition in order to maximise the biogas production. A fluid-dynamic study has been carried out to optimize the stirring operating conditions, coupling experimental and theoretical analysis. A mathematical model has been also formulated in order to predict optimal biogas production and composition as function of operative parameters. Based on model results, the process scale-up has been done and a process control system has been also designed. A specific attention has been also dedicated to the use of biogas, in co-generation system in order to produce thermal and electrical energy, and in the cited use of sub-products as fertilizer and in the recovery of water. This information has been used to carry out an economic analysis of the whole process. doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.08.428 [P-B.76] Potentiality of Cynara cardunculus L. as energy crop E. Portis 1,∗ , A. Acquadro 1 , A.M.G. Mauromicale 2 , S. Lanteri 1

Longo 2 , R.

Mauro 2 , G.

1

DIVAPRA Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Italy DACPA Scienze Agronomiche, University of Catania, Italy Keywords: Cynara cardunculus L.; Energy crop; Biomass and oil; Molecular linkage map 2

The Asteraceae (Compositae) species Cynara cardunculus L. is native to the Mediterranean basin, and incorporates the taxa globe artichoke (var. scolymus), cultivated cardoon (var. altilis) and their ancestor wild cardoon (var. sylvestris). The three forms are fully cross-compatible with one another and produce fertile inter-taxon F1 hybrids. Previous studies demonstrate that both cultivated and wild forms of C. cardunculus can be exploited for oil and biomass production. Up to 2 t/ha/year of seeds can be produced, their oil content fluctuates from 25% to 33%, has a composition comparable to the one of sunflower and safflower seeds and is suitable for biodiesel production. The species is also exploitable for the production of lignocellulosic biomass for energy or paper pulp, as the biomass yield is up to 19.0 t/ha dry matter with a moisture content from 10% to 15%. Within the Italian Project ‘CYNERGIA’, funded by the Italian MIPAAF (Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali), we have identified genotypes of both wild and cultivated cardoon characterized by high seed and/or biomass production, which are currently assessed in different environments under low-input farming techniques. Recently we have applied the double pseudo-testcross mapping strategy to construct molecular linkage maps based on the F1 progeny of a cross between a clone of globe artichoke ‘Romanesco C3 and a genotype of cultivated cardoon, using mainly AFLPs and

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Special Abstracts / Journal of Biotechnology 150S (2010) S1–S576

microsatellites. A further F1 progeny, obtained by crossing the same globe artichoke clone with a genotype of wild cardoon, has been already developed and its genotyping is in progress. The two populations segregate for a number of important agronomic traits (such as the size, shape, weight and form of the head) as well as for lignocellulosic biomass and seed production and will provide a favourable property for identifying Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) related to oil and biomass yielding. doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.08.429 [P-B.77] Modeling of an integrated bioreactor/pervaporation system, for bioethanol production, based on a hybrid neural approach A. Saraceno 1 , V. Calabro’ 1,∗ , S. Curcio 1 , G. Iorio 1 , I.D.E. Bari 2 , F. Liuzzi 2 1

University of Calabria - department of Engineering Modeling - RENDE (CS), Italy 2 ENEA - Centro Ricerche TRISAIA - Div. ENERBIO - Policoro (MT), Italy Keywords: Advanced Bioethanol; Integrated system; Hybrid model; Lignocellulosic biomass The use of immobilized cells permits to enhance fermentation productivities, and it is suitable for possible integration with continuous ethanol stripping technologies such as pervaporation. The fermentation of glucose by Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in alginate beads and the simultaneous pervaporation of the produced ethanol was modeled by means of a hybrid model in order to estimate the kinetic parameters on the basis of experimental data collected during batch fermentation. Hybrid model predictions are given as a combination of both a theoretical and a “pure” neural network approach, together concurring to the obtainment of system responses. The hybrid modeling permits to describe processes by means of a fundamental theoretical approach, based on the equations of mass conservation coupled with a simple “cause-effect” models, based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). By this model, performances of an integrated fermentationseparation system, finalized to the production of advanced bio-ethanol from different kind of substrates both real and synthetic hydrolyzates, have been evaluated too. doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.08.430 [P-B.78] Conversion of industrial wastewater to electricity via microbial fuel cells (MFCs) Pakawadee Kaewkannetra 1,2,∗ , Praepilas Dujjanutat 1,3 1

Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University,Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand 2 Centre for Alternative Energy Research and Development (AERD), Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand., Thailand 3 Graduate School of Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand Keywords: Conversion; Industrial wastewater; Electrical power; Microbial fuel cells Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are promising technology for wastewater treatment by converting the energy contained in organic matter directly to bioenergy of electrical power. In this study, the MFCs were investigated using sediment batteries technique. An industrial wastewater was collected from tapi-

oca production factor, north eastern area of Thailand. Then, the wastewater was characterised using standard methods of water and wastewater examinations such as pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and DO (dissolved solid) etc. One chamber of 25 L acrylic bioreactor of MFCs was built with graphite anodes and cathodes which have been separately proven to be efficient in MFCs. A closed anodic compartment was started up with activated sludge (AS) filled as seed starter under anaerobic condition and fed with synthetic wastewater to maintain the concentration. For other graphite cathodes, immersed in an aerated wastewater using small air diffusers, used the biofilm formed on its surface to catalyze oxygen reduction. The results clearly showed that the MFCs can be implemented the electricity via multi-meters recorded by data logger. It should conclude that the MFCs are more energy effective not only due to the energy production but also because of the reduction of aeration. doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.08.431 [P-B.79] Pre-treatment to enhance the energetic yield of winemaking by-products M. Bracchitta 1,2,∗ , D. Zanichelli 1,2 , L. Setti 1,2 1

University of Bologna, Italy Phenbiox s.r.l., Italy Keywords: Biogas; Winery; Enzymatic treatment; Bioenergy 2

Biogas production from anaerobic fermentation can help in fuel fossil replacement and reduce their environmental impact by renewable feedstock use (Chynowetha et al., 2001). The current biogas production is mainly based on the fermentation of single energy crops, but a variety of residual biomass can substitute these in anaerobic digestion, and may thus facilitate future development of agrarian economy. (Schievano et al., 2009). On the basis, agro-food wastes can represent a potential energy resource even if the biological transformation to methane is mainly limited to hydrolytic pre-treatment for producing simple sugar to be rapidly fermented. Grape stalks for example have a high percentage of lignin and cellulose and can’t be used, whitout pretreatment, for an anaerobic digestion process. Our findings show enzymatic and thermo-mechanical pretreatments in combined application for optimise hydrolytic mechanism on winemaking wastes which represents 0,9 milion ton/year in Italy. A screening of specifically industrial enzymatic complex for the hydrolysis lignocellulosic biomass were tested using the principal polysaccharides component of the vegetal cells. Hydrolysis test are optimized for the different feedstock, in particular grapes stalk and marc from winery industry. A combination of thermo-mechanical treatment at different temperatures as well enzymatic concentrations from 0,1% to 5% w/w showed an increasing release of simple sugars up to 25% depending to the kind of feedstock. The optimisation of the operative factors permits to justify an industrial useful of this application in which the sugar concentration has yielded a maximum of 21 gr/L and 30 gr/L with grapes stalk and marc, respectively. The hydrolytic processes can increase the biogas production from low fermented biomasses (Nallathambi Gunaseela, 1997) (Fountoulakis et al., 2008) and the consequent their useful in anaerobic biodigesters for agro-bioenergy production. Hydrolysis can then accelerate the biotrasformation process, increasing the yield