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Comparison of microbial communities during the anaerobic digestion of Gracilaria under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions

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Abstract

Mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digesters (MD and TD, respectively) utilizing Gracilaria and marine sediment as the substrate and inoculum, respectively, were compared by analyzing their performances and microbial community changes. During three successive transfers, the average cumulative methane yields in the MD and TD were 222.6 ± 17.3 mL CH4/g volatile solids (VS) and 246.1 ± 11 mL CH4/g VS, respectively. The higher hydrolysis rate and acidogenesis in the TD resulted in a several fold greater accumulation of volatile fatty acids (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) followed by a larger pH drop with a prolonged recovery than in the MD. However, the operational stability between both digesters remained comparable. Pyrosequencing analyses revealed that the MD had more complex microbial diversity indices and microbial community changes than the TD. Interestingly, Methanomassiliicoccales, the seventh methanogen order was the predominant archaeal order in the MD along with bacterial orders of Clostridiales, Bacteriodales, and Synergistales. Meanwhile, Coprothermobacter and Methanobacteriales dominated the bacterial and archaeal community in the TD, respectively. Although the methane yield is comparable, both MD and TD show a different profile of pH, VFA and the microbial communities.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Marine Biotechnology Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) in-house program (PE99413) and C1 Gas Refinery Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning in the Republic of Korea (2015M3D3A1A01064884).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Biotechnology Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, PO Box 29, Ansan, 15627, Republic of Korea

    Aqil Azizi, Wonduck Kim & Jung Hyun Lee

  2. Korea University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajunro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea

    Aqil Azizi, Wonduck Kim & Jung Hyun Lee

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  1. Aqil Azizi
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Correspondence to Jung Hyun Lee.

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Azizi, A., Kim, W. & Lee, J.H. Comparison of microbial communities during the anaerobic digestion of Gracilaria under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 32, 158 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-016-2112-6

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