History of adaptation determines short-term shifts in performance and community structure of hydrogen-producing microbial communities degrading wheat straw.

ABSTRACT: This study addresses the question of ecological interest for the determination of structure and diversity of microbial communities that degrade lignocellulosic biomasses to produce biofuels. Two microbial consortia with different history, native of wheat straw (NWS) and from a methanogenic digester (MD) fed with cow manure, were contrasted in terms of hydrogen performance, substrate disintegration and microbial diversity. NWS outperformed the hydrogen production rate of MD. Microscopic images revealed that NWS acted on the cuticle and epidermis, generating cellulose strands with high crystallinity, while MD degraded deeper layers, equally affecting all polysaccharides. The bacterial composition markedly differed according to the inocula origin. NWS almost solely comprised hydrogen producer

SUBMITTER: Valdez-Vazquez I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5658582 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature