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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Thermophilic methane production from cattle waste.

Methane production from waste of cattle fed a finishing diet was investigated, using four 3-liter-working volume anaerobic digestors at 60 degrees C. At 55 degrees C a start-up culture, in which waste was the only source of bacteria, was generated within 8 days and readily adapted to 60 degrees C, where efficiency of methanogenesis was greater. Increasing the temperature from 60 to 65 degrees C tended to drastically lower efficiency. When feed concentrations of volatile solids (VS, organic matter) were increased in steps of 2% after holding for 1 months at a given concentration, the maximum concentrations for efficient fermentation were 8.2, 10.0, 11.6, and 11.6% for the retention times (RT) of 3, 6, 9, and 12 days, respectively. The VS destructions for these and lower feed concentrations were 31 to 37, 36 to 40, 47 to 49 and 51 to 53% for the 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-day RT digestors, respectively, and the corresponding methane production rates were about 0.16, 0.18, 0.20, and 0.22 liters/day per g of VS in the feed. Gas contained 52 to 57% methane. At the above RT and feed concentrations, alkalinity rose to 5,000 to 7,700 mg of CaCo3 per liter (pH to 7.5 to 7.8), NH3 plus NH4+ to 64 to 90 mM, and total volatile acids to 850 to 2,050 mg/liter as acetate. The 3-day RT digestor was quite stable up to 8.2% feed VS and at this feed concentration produced methane at the very high rate of 4.5 liters/day per liter of digestor. Increasing the percentage of feed VS beyond those values indicated above resulted in greatly decreased organic matter destruction and methane production, variable decrease in pH, and increased alkalinity, ammonia, and total volatile acid concentrations, with propionate being the first to accumulate in large amounts. In a second experiment with another lot of waste, the results were similar. These studies indicate that loading rates can be much higher than those previously thought useful for maximizing methanogenesis from cattle waste.

Anaerobiosis

Methane production in the rumen and lower gut of sheep given lucerne chaff: effect of level of intake.

1. Methane production rates were estimated simultaneously in the rumen and caecum of sheep given 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 g lucerne (Medicago sativa) chaff/d using isotope dilution techniques. Estimates were also made of volatile fatty acid (VFA) production in the rumen at each level of feeding. In all studies three to four animals were used at each level of intake. 2. Production of VFA and of methane were both related to digestible energy (DE) intake. Regression lines for both VFA production and methane production v. DE intake had significant intercepts indicating an input of endogenous, fermentable organic matter into the rumen in excess of 50 g/d. 3. The values obtained for rates of methane production were compared with those calculated from stoicheiometric equations relating rates of methane and VFA production. Comparisons of methane production with that predicted from DE intake were also made. 4. Balances for digestion of food determined for the rumen indicated that the energies in the end-products were more than 100% of the DE intakes of lucerne chaff. Correction for fermentation of apparent endogenous materials resulted in more realistic values. Endogenous materials appeared to make a significant contribution to VFA and methane production, particularly at low levels of intake.

Animals

Evidence of direct methane production from long-chain fatty acids by thermophilic Archaeoglobi.

Methanogenic degradation of long-chain fatty acids has traditionally been thought to occur through syntrophic partnerships between fatty acid-degrading bacteria and methanogenic archaea. However, recent genomic evidence suggests that certain archaea may independently carry out the entire process. Here we report the enrichment of an archaeon from the class Archaeoglobi, Candidatus Methanoglobus sphaerolipidus DLY3, from hot spring sediments in Tengchong, China. The results of selective enrichment, growth experiments, microscopy, stable isotope tracing, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics suggest that Ca. M. sphaerolipidus directly converts long-chain fatty acids to methane. This transformation involves the beta-oxidation pathway, the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and methanogenic methyl-coenzyme M reductase and methyltransferase complexes-a process we term liparotrophy. In addition to oleic acid, Ca. M. sphaerolipidus is also capable of utilizing methanol as a substrate for methanogenesis. Our findings expand the known substrate range for methanogenic archaea beyond carbon dioxide reduction, acetoclastic methanogenesis, methylotrophy, methyl reduction, methoxydotrophy and the recently reported alkylotrophy.

Journal Article

The effect of simulated altitude on the heat increment of feed in sheep.

1. Sheep given constant feed were exposed to environments in which the oxygen concentration in air was either 200 or 150 ml/l. There were no differences in daily heat production, methane production, urinary energy or faecal energy losses measured over periods of 4 d. 2. When the sheep were fasted there were no differences in heat production to be ascribed to the O2 concentration in air. The thermic response to feed was unaffected by the O2 concentration in the air.

Altitude

Characterization of a strain of Methanospirillum hungatti.

The results of morphological, base ratio, nutritional, temperature, and pH studies on a strain of Methanospirillum hungatii, isolated from an anaerobic pear waste digester, are described. The isolate, designated as strain GP 1, was compared with some of the characteristics of type-strain M. hungatii JF 1. Strain GP 1 is Gram-negative, weakly motile, and a strict anaerobe with a guanine plus cytosine (G +C) content of 46.5 mol%. The preferred substrates for methane production are hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and formate. Acetate is used under certain conditions but its specific contribution to cell carbon and (or) methane formation was not established. The optimum temperature for both growth and methane production is 35 degrees C, but growth and methane production occur over the range 25-45 degrees C. Methane production is optimal at pH 7.0.

Acetates

Validation of a national genetic evaluation for methane emission in Holstein cattle.

Lactanet Canada launched a genomic evaluation for methane efficiency for Holsteins in April 2023, utilizing milk mid-infrared-predicted methane (CH4) emissions (CH4MIR) as a proxy. This study validated the methane efficiency genomic evaluation using genotyped cows with CH4MIR and CH4 records from GreenFeed systems (CH4GF), along with relative breeding values (RBV) for methane production and methane efficiency from the April 2023 evaluation. In Lactanet's methane efficiency evaluation, a higher RBV indicates more desirable, lower-emitting animals. For the validation, RBV were categorized into quintiles for the CH4MIR dataset and tertiles for the CH4GF dataset to evaluate trends across the RBV distribution. Mean CH4MIR decreased progressively across RBV quintiles for both traits, with all pairwise comparisons among quintiles significantly different. Similarly, CH4GF emissions declined across RBV tertiles, with significant differences observed between the lowest and highest tertiles. Additional analyses using RBV threshold categories confirmed that cows with the highest RBV consistently exhibited lower methane emissions. Linear regression analyses further demonstrated a negative relationship between RBV and methane emissions, supporting the predictive ability of the genomic evaluation. These findings confirm that Canada's genomic evaluation for methane efficiency effectively differentiates cows by methane emission potential, reinforcing its potential as a tool for genetic selection to reduce methane emissions in dairy cattle.

Journal Article

Coenzyme M and methylcobalamin in methane biosynthesis: results of model studies.

Coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethanesulfonate, HS-CH2CH2SO3-) reacts with methylcobalamin nonenzymatically in the pH-range between 6 and 14 to yield the S-methyl derivative (CH3-S-CH2CH2SO3-). In addition, and also at lower pH, methane is produced by reductive cleavage of the Co-C bond. With methylcobaloximes as the methyl group donors, methane production predominates, with insignificant S-methylation. The initial rates of methane production from methylcobaloximes with coenzyme M as the reductant correlate with the rates of methane production from these substrates with active cell extracts of Methanobacterium M.o.H.

Bacteria

Metagenome reveals the possible mechanism that microbial strains promote methanogenesis during anaerobic digestion of food waste.

For better understanding the mechanism of microbial strains promoting methane production, four strains Hungatella xylanolytica A5, Bacillus licheniformis B1, Paraclostridium benzoelyticum C2 and Advenella faeciporci E1 were inoculated into anaerobic digestion systems. After bioaugmentation, the cumulative methane production of A5, B1, C2 and E1 groups elevated by 11.68%, 8.20%, 18.21% and 15.67% compared to CK group, respectively. The metagenomic analysis revealed that the species diversity and uniformity of the experimental groups was improved, and hydrolytic acidifying bacteria, represented by Clostridiaceae, Anaerolineaceae and Oscillospiraceae, and methanogens, such as Methanotrichaceae and Methanobacteriaceae, were enriched. Meanwhile, the abundance of key genes in carbohydrate, pyruvate and methane metabolism was increased in the inoculated groups, providing reasonable reasons for more methane production. The strengthening mechanism of microbial strains in this study offered a theoretical foundation for selecting a suitable bioaugmentation strategy to solve the problems of slow start-up and low methane production in anaerobic digestion.

Methane

Feedstock-specific effects of sulfur-rich vegetable fractions on food waste anaerobic digestion: Sulfide-associated redox perturbation and adaptive microbial reassembly.

Food waste (FW) anaerobic digestion (AD) is strongly affected by feedstock heterogeneity, yet the role of sulfur-rich vegetable fractions remains poorly defined. Here, garlic (GAR), Chinese cabbage (CHC), and cabbage (CAB) were used as representative sulfur-rich vegetables to assess their effects on methane production, redox status, and microbial function during FW AD. At equal volatile solids loading, GAR showed no significant effect, whereas CHC and CAB caused a biphasic response, with delayed methane accumulation and reduced cumulative yield followed by late-stage daily methane production 39.6% and 45.9% higher than the control, respectively. CHC and CAB promoted sulfide accumulation and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the early stage. Elevated ROS levels were associated with lower NADH/NAD+ ratios, reduced electron transport activity, and volatile fatty acid accumulation, collectively indicating a redox-perturbed state characterized by functional decoupling between acidogenesis and methanogenesis. Metagenomic analysis showed that this early disturbance was followed by functional reassembly of the community. Hydrolytic-acidogenic bacteria sustained fermentation, accompanied by enrichment of genes associated with PFOR-Rnf-mediated energy conservation and the ED and oxidative PPP pathways, while methanogenesis shifted toward acetoclastic and methylotrophic routes. Genome-resolved analysis attributed the genomic potential for PFOR-Rnf-mediated energy conservation to Aminobacterium and Defluviitoga MAGs, and showed that Methanosarcina possessed the broadest oxidative stress defense repertoire, supporting its dominance after ROS perturbation. These findings provide a mechanistic framework linking sulfur-rich feedstock heterogeneity to methane-production dynamics, involving sulfide-associated redox perturbation and subsequent microbial functional reassembly.

Energy conservation

Integrated metagenomic and metaproteomic insights into current-carrying-coil magnetic field enhanced synergistic methanogenic system and antibiotic resistance gene reduction in cow manure anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a sustainable strategy for valorizing cow manure (CM). However, the high ammonia (NH3) concentration and low biodegradability of CM limit hydrolysis and methane production. This study investigated the application of a current-carrying-coil-based magnetic field (CCC-MF) to AD of CM. The CCC-MF digesters showed higher soluble chemical oxygen demand and attained 16.59 % higher ammonium nitrogen reduction, contributing to a 37.50 % higher average methane yield than the control. Further, CCC-MF digesters showed higher enzyme activities (alkaline protease + 30 %, acetate kinase + 22 % and hydrazine dehydrogenase + 26 %) and increased microbial metabolic indices (dehydrogenase activity + 17 % and electron transport system activity + 10 %) than the control. Metagenomics analysis revealed that abundances of the bacterial genera Mesotoga, Aminobacterium, Xiashengella, unclassified Candidatus Cloacimonadota, Advenella, Pseudomonas, and Comamonas increased, whereas the acetoclastic methanogen Methanothrix decreased by 2.58 %, accompanied by 2.07- and 1.64-fold increases in hydrogenotrophic methanogens Methanospirillum and Methanobacterium, respectively, in CCC-MF digesters. The abundance of nitrogen dissimilation and assimilation genes NirK, NorB, NarB, NapA, nmo, and GLT1 were enhanced by 1.14, 1.04, 2.30, 1.32, 1.17, and 1.29-fold in CCC-MF digesters compared to the control. Moreover, metaproteomics revealed higher up-regulated differentially expressed proteins in NH3 reduction-related amino acid metabolism pathways in CCC-MF digester compared to control. Additionally, reduced abundances of bacitracin, polymyxin, sulfonamide, and multidrug antibiotic resistance (MAR) gene types were observed in the CCC-MF digesters. The findings suggest that applying CCC-MF may be associated with higher methane production and ammonium reduction, potentially linked to a more favorable synergistic methanogenic system and nitrogen transformation pathways.

Manure

Influence of sulfide compounds on the metabolism of Methanobacterium strain AZ.

Various organic sulfides and inorganic sulfide were studied in respect to their effect on growth and methane production of Methanobacterium strain AZ. In mineral, sulfide-free medium, cysteine regulated the specific rate of methane production (optimum concentration = 5-10(-4) mole/1). A supplement of sulfide (10(-4) mole/1) caused an additional stimulation. Coenzyme M** or glutathione could be substituted for cysteine when sulfide was present. Growth was stimulated by CoM and glutathione to the same extent as with cysteine in sulfide-containing media. The concentration of sulfide in cysteine-containing media affected the excretion of amino acids.

Amino Acids

Metagenomic insights into the mechanisms of heteroatom-doped, iron-loaded biochar in enhancing anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

Anaerobic digestion is a crucial technology for resource recovery from waste activated sludge. Enhancing its methane production efficiency using conductive materials is a key research objective. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which conductive materials promote this process. Three types of biochar(FeS@BC300, FeP@BC600, and FeP@BC900) were prepared by doping bamboo powder with N, P, S and iron salts under pyrolysis conditions at 300-900 °C, and their physical and chemical properties were characterized, including surface functional groups, specific surface area, capacitance, electrical resistance, electron-accepting capacity (EAC), and electron-donating capacity (EDC). These analyses assessed the influence of synthesis parameters. These materials were subsequently introduced into the anaerobic digestion of thermally hydrolyzed sludge to evaluate their impacts on methanogenic performance, microbial community structure, and metabolic pathways. The results show that the FeP@BC600 material, which exhibited the highest EDC, substantially increased microbial cytochrome c production (by 29.2 % compared to the control). This enhancement improved interspecies electron transfer, stimulated ATP synthesis (increased by 41.5 %), and reinforced both hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenic pathways, ultimately elevating methane production by 55 %. Integrated analysis of metagenomic data, material properties, and performance metrics revealed that the key mechanism by which FeP@BC600 promotes methanogenesis is through the enrichment of cytochrome c-encoding genes, thereby facilitating direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) and augmenting ATP synthesis. This study provides a foundation for the subsequent application of conductive materials to enhance anaerobic digestion and offers guidance for the optimized design of such materials.

Sewage

Adaptive Evolution Reveals Metabolic Plasticity and Functional Redundancy in an Anaerobic Microbiome under Extreme Ammonia Stress.

Ammonia toxicity represents a primary biochemical bottleneck governing microbial community structure and performance during the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. However, the mechanistic basis of microbial adaptation to chronic ammonia levels remains poorly characterized. In this study, a long-term sequential enrichment strategy under progressively increasing ammonia concentrations (350-1500 mgN L-1), integrated with genome-centric metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, was employed to resolve the response of an organic waste-degrading microbiome over a 240 day period. Increasing ammonia pressure induced a progressive decline in methanogenesis and accumulation of volatile fatty acids, particularly acetate. Despite these inhibitory pressures, methane production was only halved relative to the initial baseline reflecting a resilient methanogenic community. This stability was driven by a restructuring of the microbiome, where functional redundancy across divergent taxa preserved core metabolic functions. Key adaptive responses included the reconfiguration of carbon fixation pathways, specifically via a variant of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway coupled with the glycine cleavage system acting as an alternative acetate oxidation route, as well as sustained osmoprotectant biosynthesis. Cellular homeostasis was preserved through H+ replenishment via multiple energy-converting complexes and K+ influx to maintain cation-proton balance. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that metabolic plasticity and the preservation of core metabolic functions are the primary determinants of ammonia resilience, sustaining methane production under inhibitory conditions.

Ammonia

Factors affecting rate of methane formation from acetic acid by enriched methanogenic cultures.

A stable enrichment culture converting acetic acid to methane was successfully obtained from a pear waste digester, using a synthetic substrate solution with acetic acid as the main carbon source. This enrichment culture converted up to 10 mmol of acetic acid per litre per day at 35 degrees C and did not use hydrogen or formic acid in appreciable amounts as substrate for methane production instead of, or in addition to, acetic acid. The rate of conversion of acetic acid to methane was maximum at temperature of 40-45 degrees C, at a pH of 6.5 to 7.1, and was adversely affected by exposure to air, reducing agents, and high salt concentrations. The rate of conversion was independent of acetic acid concentration between 0.2 and 100 mM, but dropped markedly at concentrations below 0.2 mM.

Acetates

Changes in proportions of acetate and carbon dioxide used as methane precursors during the anaerobic digestion of bovine waste.

In an anaerobic digestor which was fed daily with bovine waste, during the early stages after feeding (4 to 7 h) acetate (via the methyl group) accounted for almost 90% of the methane produced. As time after feeding increased, acetate declined as a precursor so that in the 12- to 14-h and 21- to 23-h periods, after feeding the methyl group accounted for 80 and 73% of the methane produced, respectively. Measurements of methane production from CO2 reduction showed that in the 2- to 12-h period after feeding, CO2 accounted for 14% of the methane produced, whereas in the 12- to 24-h period it accounted for 27-5%. These results show that the percentages of methane accounted for by acetate and CO2 vary with time after feeding the digestor.

Acetates

[Intensity of bacterial methane formation in ooze deposits in lakes].

The rate of methane production of bacteria via the decomposition of acetate in ooze deposits of the Mari lakes was 0.0165 to 0.483 mg CH4/day/ litre wet ooze. From 32 to 98 per cent of methane in the ooze of studied reservoirs formed through microbiological reduction of carbon dioxide by hydrogen.

Acetates

[Radioisotope method of determining the intensity of bacterial methane formation].

The rate of methane formation by bacteria was determined by the isotope tracer technique using labeled carbon in the form of bicarbonate. The rate of methane production in the ooze deposits of the Kuznechikha lake was calculated by this technique to constitute 7.46 to 7.70 cm3 CH4 per 1 litre per day. The rate of the process was shown to depend on the number of methane-producing bacteria.

Bacteria