Bioprocessing

The present study deals with the biohydrogen production from starch-containing wastewater collected from the textile industry in Taiwan. The effects of inoculums collected from different sources (sewage sludge, soil and cow dung), substrate concentrations (5–25 g COD/L) and pH (4.0–8.0) on hydrogen production from wastewater were investigated.The cow dung seed had the highest hydrogen production of 101 mL with hydrogen content in biogas of 32.2%. It corresponds to a hydrogen yield (HY) of 1.56 mol H2/mol hexose and hydrogen production rate (HPR) of 0.93 L/L/d. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effects of initial cultivation pH (4.0–8.0) and substrate concentration (5–25 g COD/L) on the hydrogen production at 35 °C. At pH 7.0 with a wastewater concentration of 20 g COD/L, a maximum hydrogen production of 66 mL with 31.9% H2 and corresponding to an HY of 0.97 mol H2/mol hexose and an HPR of 1.14 L/L/d were obtained. According to the response surface analysis, the optimal conditions for high HPR were a wastewater concentration of 13 g COD/L at an initial cultivation pH of 7.0. The main soluble metabolic products were acetate and butyrate for hydrogen fermentation from textile wastewater.► The textile wastewater containing starch is a potential energy resource for anaerobic hydrogen fermentation. ► The optimum initial cultivation pH for H2production was 7.0. ► The optimum wastewater concentration for H2 production was 13 g COD/L. ► The main soluble metabolic products were acetate and butyrate.

Ideal bacterial support medium for fixed film denitrification processes/bioreactors must be inexpensive, durable and possess large surface area with sufficient porosity. The present study has been focussed on removing nitrate nitrogen at two different nitrate nitrogen loading rates (60 (NLR I) and 120 (NLR II) mg l-1) from simulated aquaculture wastewater. Coconut coir fibre and a commercially available synthetic reticulated plastic media (Fujino Spirals) were used as packing medium in two independent upflow anaerobic packed bed column reactors. Removal of nitrate nitrogen was studied in correlation with other nutrients (COD, TKN, dissolved orthophosphate). Maximum removal of 97% at NLR-I and 99% at NLR – II of nitrate nitrogen was observed in with either media. Greater consistency in the case of COD removal of upto 81% was observed at NLR II where coconut coir was used as support medium compared to 72% COD removal by Fujino Spirals. The results observed indicate that the organic support medium is just as efficient in nitrate nitrogen removal as conventionally used synthetic support medium. The study is important as it specifically focuses on denitrification of aquaculture wastewater using cheaper organic support medium in anoxic bioreactors for the removal of nitrate nitrogen; which is seldom addressed as a significant problem.

Chemical process industries around the world are
desperately seeking for sustainable technology in the backdrop of
ever-increasing world population, demand for more employment,
industrialization and concern for environment. Process intensification
is one such way towards sustainability. The paper focuses on
development of a membrane-integrated production system for
monomer grade lactic acid with the advantages like, involvement of
less processing steps, less energy consumption and less chemical
requirement that make the system simple, flexible, compact and
environmentally benign. The particular modular design offers great
flexibility in operation of the system which the modern
manufacturing sector is demanding in this era of emaciated profit
margin. The continuous production system offered a reasonably high
flux of 76-77 L/ m-2 h-1 of greater than 95% pure L (+) lactic acid.

Rice husk lean-combustion in a bubbling and atmospheric fluidized bed reactor (FBR) of 0.3 m diameter with expansion to 0.4 m in the freeboard zone and 3 m height was investigated. Experiment design – response surface methodology (RSM) – is used to evaluate both excess air and normal fluidizing velocity influence (independent and controllable variables), in the combustion efficiency (carbon transformation), bed and freeboard temperature and silica content in the ashes. Hot gases emissions (CO2, CO and NOx), crystallographic structure and morphology of the ash are also shown. A cold fluidization study is also presented. The values implemented in the equipment operation, excess air in the range of 40–125% and normal fluidization velocities (0.13–0.15 Nm/s) show that the values near the lower limit, encourage bed temperatures around 750 °C with higher carbon transformation efficiencies around 98%. However, this condition deteriorated the amorphous potential of silica present in the ash...

Vaccines are one of the most important tools in public health and play an important role in infectious diseases control. Owing to its precision, safe profile and flexible manufacturing, mRNA vaccines are reaching the stoplight as a new alternative to conventional vaccines. In fact, mRNA vaccines were the technology of choice for many companies to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and it was the first technology to be approved in both United States and in Europe Union as a prophylactic treatment. Additionally, mRNA vaccines are being studied in the clinic to treat a number of diseases including cancer, HIV, influenza and even genetic disorders.

The increased demand for mRNA vaccines requires a technology platform and cost-effective manufacturing process with a well-defined product characterisation. Large scale production of mRNA vaccines consists in a 1 or 2-step in vitro reaction followed by a purification platform with multiple steps that can include Dnase digestion, precipitation, chromatography or tangential flow filtration. In this review we describe the current state-of-art of mRNA vaccines, focusing on the challenges and bottlenecks of manufacturing that need to be addressed to turn this new vaccination technology into an effective, fast and cost-effective response to emerging health crises.

Two bed media were tested (gravel and Filtralite) in shallow horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetlands in order to evaluate the removal of ammonia and nitrate for different types of wastewater (acetate-based and domestic wastewater) and different COD/N ratios. The use of Filtralite allowed both higher mass removal rates (1.1 g NH4–N m2 d1 and 3 g NO3–N m2 d1) and removal efficiencies (>62% for ammonia, 90–100% for nitrate), in less than 2 weeks, when compared to the ones observed with gravel. The COD/N ratio seems to have no significant influence on nitrate removal and the removal of both ammonia and nitrate seems to have involved not only the conventional pathways of nitrification–denitrification. The nitrogen loading rate of both ammonia (0.8–2.4 g NH4–N m2 d1) and nitrate (0.6–3.2 g NO3–N m2 d1) seem to have influenced the respective removal rates.

Development of artificial enzymes designed for industrial plants that could convert carbon dioxide into carbonates, with the ultimate aim of reducing CO2 emissions. Enzymes are biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions, such as the conversion of gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbonates. Carbonates are the basic component of coral reefs, mollusc shells, geological platforms and kidney stones. Although naturally occurring enzymes would be ideal for converting human-generated CO2 emissions into carbonates, they are generally incapable of coping with the extreme conditions of industrial plants. Ernesto and colleagues are now developing artificial enzymes that can withstand the harsh environments of industrial plants while accelerating chemical reactions. His team ultimately aims to create a clean, cheap, practical and socially responsible solution for global warming by reducing CO2 emissions. "We believe that our novel artificial enzymes will be the first tailor-made enzymes for industrial plants to produce carbonates," says Dr Hernandez. So far, Dr Hernandez and his colleagues have built an artificial environment composed of chimney-like equipment, measuring 1.5 metres in height and 15 centimetres in diameter, that mimics the smoke released by power plants. Using the artificial environment, the researchers will ensure that their artificial enzymes can function properly under extreme conditions consisting of hot, corrosive, poisonous and sticky smoke as well as soot and other gases produced by power plants. The team is basing the development of its artificial enzyme on naturally occurring carbonic anhydrase (CA), which accelerates the conversion of CO2 into carbonates. Carbonic anhydrase is capable of turning CO2 molecules into carbonates at a rate of one million molecules per second. However, "the enzyme's CO2 conversion rate slows down dramatically under industrial conditions," Dr Hernandez points out. He and his colleagues are now engineering artificial enzymes based on natural CA, using directed evolution techniques. Their first step involves the creation of a library of diverse genes that encode for carbonic anhydrases. "This library includes sequences of unique forms of carbonic anhydrases recently found near deep-ocean chimneys (hydrothermal vents)," says Dr Hernandez. The team plans to modify and multiply the genes encoding for carbonic anhydrases using a molecular technique called random mutagenesis. The researchers will then place the mutated genes in the artificial environment to see which ones are most effective at converting carbon dioxide into carbonates. The best mutations will then be put through the modification and multiplication processes again. The researchers will repeat the whole process until they have isolated a mutated gene encoding for recombinant carbonic anhydrase that can convert CO2 into carbonates under industrial conditions. With the help of artificial enzymes, CO2-converted carbonates could be used in everything from baking soda and chalk to Portland cement and lime manufacturing.

This research work evaluates the impact of stormwater infiltration on the removal of organics, solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in a LECA-based horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland. Stormwater runoff for the period between January 2008 and June 2010 (30 months) was estimated for the drainage basin of the Vila Fernando wastewater treatment plant (constructed wetland system) and it was observed proportionality between the increase in surface runoff and the infiltration flow rate that reached the plant. The average stormwater infiltration rate that reached the plant was 67.4 m(3) d(-1) (77% of the influent flow rate into the plant). The 30 month monitoring campaign set up at one of the reed beds showed that stormwater infiltration led to a high variation of the hydraulic loading rate (HLR) throughout the bed, which affected its performance in the removal of organic matter, suspended solids and nitrogen. For a HLR below 20 cm d-1 the removal efficiencies for BOD5, COD and TSS doubled. The removal of nitrogen was too low and was associated with the weak development of nitrifying biofilm and the poor growth of reeds. However, it was observed a good relationship between the applied and removed loads for most of the parameters, which seems to indicate that the organic, solid, nitrogen and phosphorus loading rates influenced the respective removal rates. The use of a bed material with high specific surface area, such as LECA, can only improve the treatment capacity of horizontal subsurface flow systems if the organic and solid loading rates, as well as the HLR, can be effectively controlled.

Reclaimed water from small wastewater treatment facilities in the rural areas of the Beira Interior region (Portugal) may constitute an alternative water source for aquifer recharge. A 21-month monitoring period in a constructed wetland treatment system has shown that 21,500 m3 year−1 of treated wastewater
(reclaimed water) could be used for aquifer recharge. A GIS-based multi-criteria analysis was performed, combining ten thematic maps and economic, environmental and technical criteria, in order to produce a suitability map for the location of sites for reclaimed water infiltration. The areas chosen for aquifer
recharge with infiltration basins are mainly composed of anthrosol with more than 1 m deep and fine sand texture, which allows an average infiltration velocity of up to 1 m d−1. These characteristics will provide a final polishing treatment of the reclaimed water after infiltration (soil aquifer treatment (SAT)),
suitable for the removal of the residual load (trace organics, nutrients, heavy metals and pathogens).
The risk of groundwater contamination is low since the water table in the anthrosol areas ranges from 10 m to 50 m. On the other hand, these depths allow a guaranteed unsaturated area suitable for SAT. An area of 13,944 ha was selected for study, but only 1607 ha are suitable for reclaimed water infiltration.
Approximately 1280 m2 were considered enough to set up 4 infiltration basins to work in flooding and
drying cycles.

The physical and chemical characteristics of four commercial automotive brake shoe lining materials used in heavy vehicles have been investigated and compared. Relevant physical properties viz. density, water absorption and swelling characteristics were determined using standard test methods. X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and optical microscopic techniques were used to identify the constituents. It has been observed that all of the four friction materials contain phenol formaldehyde resin as the matrix. Other major ingredients were also the same in all the samples but their amount and size varied. These include asbestos as fibre reinforcement, barium sulphate as filler and brass particles as friction modifier. It was found that the swell resistance of the locally produced friction material compares favourably with that of the imported materials, but its bulk density was the lowest and its water absorption the highest.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924013604006430

Despite the high demand and severe shortage of water in Jordan and Tunisia, substantial amounts of treated wastewater are discharged into seas and valleys. This paper studies the perceptions of Jordanian and Tunisian farmers’ and public towards reuse of reclaimed wastewater in irrigated agriculture. A field survey was conducted in both countries employing two sets of questionnaires and targeting 96 farmers and 326 households. The results reveal reasonably high levels of farmers’ acceptance to use reclaimed wastewater and public acceptance to consume crops irrigated with this water. The study analyzes the factors that influence decisions of farmers and public to accept or reject irrigation with the reclaimed wastewater and related crops, respectively. The results also identify the major factors that might be influential in changing the perceptions and attitudes farmers’ and public.

The Metropolis of Manila has poor wastewater management practices which costs the economy around AUD$ 2 Billion per year, results in around a third of all recorded illnesses and has left the rivers biologically dead. However, with a change in wastewater management governance structure in 1997, steady improvements have been realised. Lately, a sewerage system implementation model for river rehabilitation based on a “river basin approach” is being implemented for the first time on a large scale. The implementation is part of a strategy to increase access to sewerage infrastruction, for roughly half of the Manila Metropolis population, from 3% in 1997 to 100% in 2018. The implementation has faced challenges associated with flooding, land availability, above average population growth rates and managing stakeholders. However the bulk of these challenges can be and are being engineered out or managed and the implementation is proceeding.

Desde una perspectiva histórico-arqueológica, esto es, manejando información de diversas intervenciones arqueológicas, documentación histórica de archivos y cartografía histórica, se plantea cómo el agua ha sido pieza fundamental a la hora de elegir y desarrollar los distintos asentamientos que se han producido en Alicante desde el Neolítico a época moderna, centrándonos sobre todo en la prehistoria (asentamiento del Tossal de les Basses) y en época tardo-antigua e islámica (laderas del Benacantil), éste último, el espacio en donde luego se consolidó el hábitat hasta nuestro días, subsistiendo hasta bien entrado el siglo XIX con el agua de las mismas fuentes naturales usadas por los musulmanes desde el s. VIII.

Resumen Las microalgas se presentan como una fuente potencial de compuestos bioactivos para ser utilizado en la industria alimentaria generando alimentos funcionales. El desarrollo y búsqueda de alimentos funcionales, como método para mejorar y mantener la salud representa un campo de la investigación muy explorado en años recientes. Lípidos, proteínas, polisacáridos, compuestos fenólicos, carotenoides, entre otros bioproductos proveniente de microalgas pueden ser utilizados como fuente de ingredientes para productos funcionales, sin embargo, la inestabilidad química de muchos de ellos puede comprometer su acción. La nanoencapsulación representa una herramienta nanotecnológica capaz de proporcionar mejoras en la estabilidad y actividad biológica de los compuestos bioactivos provenientes de microalgas. Esta revisión persigue mostrar la importancia, mejoras y potencialidad en la elaboración de compuestos bioactivos de microalgas para productos nanoencapsulados con utilidad en la industria de alimentos. Palabras claves: Alimento funcional. Bioproductos. Microalgas. Nanoencapsulación. Resumo As microalgas se apresentam como uma fonte potencial de compostos bioativos para utilização na indústria alimentícia, produzindo alimentos funcionais. O desenvolvimento e procura de alimentos funcionais, como método para melhorar e manter a saúde representa uma área substancialmente explorada nos últimos anos. Lipídeos, proteínas, polissacarídeos, compostos fenólicos, carotenóides, entre outros bioprodutos das microalgas podem ser utilizados como ingredientes para produtos funcionais, mas, a instabilidade química de muitos deles pode comprometer sua ação. A nanoencapsulação é uma ferramenta nanotecnológica capaz de proporcionar melhorias de estabilidade e atividade biológica dos compostos bioativos derivados de microalgas. Esta revisão procura mostrar a importância, melhoria e potencialidade na elaboração de compostos bioativos das microalgas para produtos nanoencapsulados com potencial para a indústria de alimentos.

For recombinant protein production in E. coli fed-batch cultures, post-induction conditions have great influence in the quantity and quality of the product. The present paper covers the effect of different factors affecting the cellular environment in recombinant aldolase (rhamnulose-1-phosphate aldolase, RhuA) production. An operational mode employing an exponential addition profile for constant specific growth rate has been analyzed, in order to understand and define possible modifications with influence on post-induction cellular behavior. A constant addition profile has been demonstrated to render higher specific aldolase production than the exponential addition profile, probably due to a more constant environment for the cells. On the other hand, amino acid (leucine) supplementation has proven to increase protein quality in terms of activity units (U) per unit mass of RhuA (U mg(-1) RhuA), alleviating metabolic overload. Based on the above, a production process was set up and scaled up to pilot plant. Resulting production was double that of a standard laboratory operation, 45,000 U L(-1), and almost all the protein retained the 6xHis-tag with the highest quality, 11.3 U mg(-1) RhuA.

Biological treatment of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) was investigated in a bench-scale biofilter, packed with compost along with wood chips, and enriched with DMS degrading microorganism Bacillus sphaericus. The biofilter could remove 62-74% of the inlet DMS, at an optimum loading of 0.484 g/m(3)/h with optimum empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 384 s and an average moisture range of 65-70%. The biodegradative products of DMS were sulphide, thiosulphate and sulphate. Evaluation of microbiological status of the biofilter indicated the presence of other bacterial cultures viz. Paenibacillus polymyxa, and Bacillus megaterium, besides B. sphaericus.Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microalgae are a potential source for various valuable chemicals for commercial applications ranging from
nutraceuticals to fuels. Objective in a biorefinery is to utilize biomass ingredients efficiently similarly to petroleum
refineries in which oil is fractionated in fuels and a variety of products with higher value. Downstream
processes in microalgae biorefineries consist of different steps whereof cell disruption is the most
crucial part. To maintain the functionality of algae biochemicals during cell disruption while obtaining
high disruption yields is an important challenge. Despite this need, studies on mild disruption ofmicroalgae
cells are limited. This review article focuses on the evaluation of conventional and emerging cell disruption
technologies, and a comparison thereof with respect to their potential for the future microalgae
biorefineries. The discussed techniques are bead milling, high pressure homogenization, high speed homogenization,
ultrasonication, microwave treatment, pulsed electric field treatment, non-mechanical cell
disruption and some emerging technologies.

This article presents results from the first statistically significant study of cost escalation in transportation infrastructure projects. Based on a sample of 258 transportation infrastructure projects worth US$90 billion and representing different project types, geographical regions, and historical periods, it is found with overwhelming statistical significance that the cost estimates used to decide whether such projects should be built are highly and systematically misleading. Underestimation cannot be explained by error and is best explained by strategic misrepresentation, that is, lying. The policy implications are clear: legislators, administrators, investors, media representatives, and members of the public who value honest numbers should not trust cost estimates and cost-benefit analyses produced by project promoters and their analysts.

Microwave heating takes place due to the polarization effect of electromagnetic radiation at frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz (Decareau, 1985). Started as a by-product of the radar technology developed during World War II, microwave heating is now used in ...

Most of the wastewater treatment systems in small rural communities of the Cova da Beira region (Portugal) consist of constructed wetlands (CW) with horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF). It is believed that those systems allow the compliance of discharge standards as well as the production of final effluents with suitability for reuse. Results obtained in a nine-month campaign in an HSSF bed pointed out that COD and TSS removal were lower than expected. A discrete sampling also showed that removal of TC, FC and HE was not enough to fulfill international irrigation goals. However, the bed had a very good response to variation of incoming nitrogen loads presenting high removal of nitrogen forms. A good correlation between mass load and mass removal rate was observed for BOD5, COD, TN, NH4-N, TP and TSS, which shows a satisfactory response of the bed to the variable incoming loads. The entrance of excessive loads of organic matter and solids contributed for the decrease of the effective v...

El objetivo es introducir al estudiante el concepto de Flujograma de los Bioprocesos y darle a conocer las herramientas y procedimientos para la simulación de los flujogramas, como herramienta fundamental para el desarrollo de la Ingeniería de los Bioprocesos. Brindarle los conocimientos y el entrenamiento práctico básico que le permitan iniciar la aplicación del simulador de procesos SuperPro Designer en las tareas de Ingeniería de los Bioprocesos. Un concepto fundamental para la Simulación de los Bioprocesos es el de Diagrama de Flujo de Procesos (PFD por sus siglas en inglés)[1], que también se puede nombrar de forma abreviada como Flujograma, en el cual un proceso productivo se representa por los módulos de las Operaciones Unitarias que lo forman y el proceso de simular ese diagrama completo se denomina, en inglés, “Flowsheeting”, que se puede traducir aproximadamente como Simulación del Flujograma, aunque en muchas ocasiones se utilizael nombre en inglés. Para llevar a cabo esas simulaciones se utilizan simuladores comerciales entre los cuales para este Módulo se ha seleccionado elSuperPro Designer, con el cual se facilita el diseño y evaluación de los bioprocesos.

En esta Conferencia se brindará primero la base teórica y metodológica que sustenta la aplicación de los simuladores de proceso como el SuperPro Designer, se abundará sobre las características del proceso de Simulación de los Flujogramas de los Bioprocesos y se hará énfasis en los aspectos básicos de la simulación con el SuperPro Designer, de manera de sentar las bases para su uso intensivo en Módulos posteriores.

Megaproject Planning and Management: Essential Readings contains the seminal articles from the growing body of research on megaproject planning and management along with an original introduction by the editor, Bent Flyvbjerg. The leading and most cited authority in the field, Flyvbjerg has used crowdsourcing and 25 years of experience to cherry-pick from several hundred articles and books the writings that define the field. This volume will be an indispensable source for those wishing to speak with authority about how megaprojects are prepared, delivered, and fought over. The target audience is students, academics, practitioners, and media pundits alike, as well as communities affected by megaprojects.