Biohydrogenation of fumarate using Desulfovibrio desulfuricans: experimental results and kinetic rate modelling

✍ Scribed by David Schieche; Mangena V. S. Murty; Richard I. Kermode; Dibakar Bhattacharyya

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 367 KB
• Volume: 70
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0268-2575
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4660(199711)70:3<316::aid-jctb759>3.0.co;2-0

✦ Synopsis

The biological hydrogenation of organic compounds using sulphatereducing bacteria was investigated. A high pressure stainless steel bioreactor and an atmospheric pressure reactor were constructed so that identical reactions at di †erent pressures could be compared. The mesophillic sulphate-reducing bacteria Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (ATCC 7757) were used. Qualitative tests showed that Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was able to retain its viability at hydrogen pressures up to 35 atmospheres at a temperature of 37¡C when exposed to fumarate. Evidence of fumarate dismutation was observed since half of the fumarate was converted to succinate. The e †ect of bacterial cell concentration was also studied under hydrogen gas. For a doubling of the bacterial cell (reactivated) concentration, the conversion of fumarate doubled from 40% to 80% in 12 h. A Ðrst-order reaction rate model was Ðt to the fumarate concentration data. The Ðrst-order reaction rate constant was found to be a linear function of the bacterial cell concentration.