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. 2025 Jan 9;18(1):3.
doi: 10.1186/s13068-024-02597-z.

Batch and semi-continuous fermentation with Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius DSM 6285 for H2 production

Magda S Ardila  1 , Habibu Aliyu  2 , Pieter de Maayer  3 , Anke Neumann  4
Affiliations

Batch and semi-continuous fermentation with Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius DSM 6285 for H2 production

Magda S Ardila et al. Biotechnol Biofuels Bioprod. .

Abstract

Background: Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius is a facultatively anaerobic thermophile that is able to produce hydrogen (H2) gas from the oxidation of carbon monoxide through the water-gas shift reaction when grown under anaerobic conditions. The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction is driven by a carbon monoxide dehydrogenase-hydrogenase enzyme complex. Previous experiments exploring hydrogenogenesis with P. thermoglucosidasius have relied on batch fermentations comprising defined media compositions and gas atmospheres. This study evaluated the effects of a semi-continuous feeding strategy on hydrogenogenesis.

Results: A batch and two semi-continuous fermentations, with feeding of the latter fresh media (with glucose) in either 24 h or 48 h intervals were undertaken and H2 production, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) activity, and metabolite consumption/production were monitored throughout. Maximum H2 production rates (HPR) of 0.14 and 0.3 mmol min-1, were observed for the batch and the semi-continuous fermentations, respectively. Daily feeding attained stable H2 production for 7 days, while feeding every 48 h resulted in high variations in H2 production. CODH enzyme activity correlated with H2 production, with a maximum of 1651 U mL-1 on day 14 with the 48 h feeding strategy, while CODH activity remained relatively constant throughout the fermentation process with the 24 h feeding strategy.

Conclusions: The results emphasize the significance of a semi-continuous glucose-containing feed for attaining stable hydrogen production with P. thermoglucosidasius. The semi-continuous fermentations achieved a 46% higher HPR than the batch fermentation. The higher HPRs achieved with both semi-continuous fermentations imply that this approach could enhance the biohydrogen platform. However, optimizing the feeding interval is pivotal to ensuring stable hydrogen production.

Keywords: Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius; Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase; Hydrogen; Semi-continuous fermentation; Water gas shift reaction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Fermentations in mASM medium. P. thermoglucosidasius DSM 6285. The H2 and CO2 production rate (mmol min−1) and the CO consumption rate (mmol min−1) with the standard deviation indicated by the colored regions. The biomass, measured as absorbance units (AU), is depicted as a grey line. The aerobic phase ends after 24 h with gas exchange. a Batch fermentation over 11 days. b Semi-continuous fermentation with feeding every 24 h, starting from day 2. c Semi-continuous fermentation with feeding every 48 h starting from day 2
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
CODH enzyme activity for a batch fermentation, b feeding every 24 h, and c 48 h. The enzyme activity for the semi-continuous fermentations was measured from the third day of fermentation
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Metabolites during the fermentations in mASM medium. P. thermoglucosidasius DSM 6285 was cultivated at 55°C, 500 rpm, and pH 6.8. The production or consumption rate (only for glucose) of the metabolites is the average of two bioreactors, with error bars indicating standard deviation. Metabolite production/consumption rates for the a batch fermentation, c 24-h feeding and e 48-h feeding. Electron selectivity for the b batch, d 24-h feeding and f 48-h feeding semi-continuous fermentations, respectively
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