– The graphs of gross production of methane in the different tests
– The net methane production obtained subtracting the blanks
– The final methane yield expressed as NLCH 4 kgVS
À1
10.7 Microbiome Analysis
It is very important to understand the anaerobic digestion process to have a clear idea
of the evolution of the microbia inside the reactor. This can be traced with different
methods which have undergone an important improvement in the last decade; the
most important are as follows:
– Culture-independent methods
– Imaging
– Isotope labeling
– Chemical analyses
With the term “culture independent methods,” we identify the methods that are
not based on microbial cultivation to study their ecosystem. These methods permit
us to have a good idea of the composition and of the main metabolic functions of
bacterial population inside the anaerobic digester. Special attention is focused on the
methanogenesis reaction.
These methods allow also the researcher to understand better what are the
interactions between the feedstock, reactor configuration, operational conditions,
and microbial community.
In this way, the structure, dynamics, performance efficiency, and stability of the
microbia are also analyzed (Werner et al. 2010; Talbot et al. 2008; Regueiro et al.
2012; Pervin et al. 2013; Ho et al. 2013; Nelson et al. 2011; Sundberg et al. 2013;
Lee et al. 2012).
The use of culture independent methods has revealed that anaerobic digesters
(Nelson et al. 2011; Sundberg et al. 2013) host a multitude of previously
uncharacterized microorganisms, of which the interaction mechanisms are not
known. To understand the anaerobic digestion process, it is in fact required to
know how the bacterial metabolism is working the functional redundancy inside
the bacterial community and the interactions between different species.
10.7.1 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
The composition of the microbia populating the anaerobic digester can be determined through PCR amplification and the analysis of genes markers (see Fig. 10.9).
The most widely adopted is the 16S rRNA gene. It is also the one with the most
extensive databases of references (Talbot et al. 2008; Su et al. 2012; Musat et al.
2011).
332
PietroBartocci et al.
– The net methane production obtained subtracting the blanks
– The final methane yield expressed as NLCH 4 kgVS
À1
10.7 Microbiome Analysis
It is very important to understand the anaerobic digestion process to have a clear idea
of the evolution of the microbia inside the reactor. This can be traced with different
methods which have undergone an important improvement in the last decade; the
most important are as follows:
– Culture-independent methods
– Imaging
– Isotope labeling
– Chemical analyses
With the term “culture independent methods,” we identify the methods that are
not based on microbial cultivation to study their ecosystem. These methods permit
us to have a good idea of the composition and of the main metabolic functions of
bacterial population inside the anaerobic digester. Special attention is focused on the
methanogenesis reaction.
These methods allow also the researcher to understand better what are the
interactions between the feedstock, reactor configuration, operational conditions,
and microbial community.
In this way, the structure, dynamics, performance efficiency, and stability of the
microbia are also analyzed (Werner et al. 2010; Talbot et al. 2008; Regueiro et al.
2012; Pervin et al. 2013; Ho et al. 2013; Nelson et al. 2011; Sundberg et al. 2013;
Lee et al. 2012).
The use of culture independent methods has revealed that anaerobic digesters
(Nelson et al. 2011; Sundberg et al. 2013) host a multitude of previously
uncharacterized microorganisms, of which the interaction mechanisms are not
known. To understand the anaerobic digestion process, it is in fact required to
know how the bacterial metabolism is working the functional redundancy inside
the bacterial community and the interactions between different species.
10.7.1 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
The composition of the microbia populating the anaerobic digester can be determined through PCR amplification and the analysis of genes markers (see Fig. 10.9).
The most widely adopted is the 16S rRNA gene. It is also the one with the most
extensive databases of references (Talbot et al. 2008; Su et al. 2012; Musat et al.
2011).
332
PietroBartocci et al.