Microalgal biochar assisted simultaneous removal of particulate matter, formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC's) from indoor air.

Biochar-based materials for air treatment have gained significant attention for removing health-detrimental volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) in indoor air settings. However, high turnaround time, multiple pretreatment processes involved, and high pore size and low surface area (>10 µm, <100 m2 g-1) of lignocellulosic feedstocks demand alternative biochar feedstock material. Considering this, we designed a simple first-of-its-kind indoor air scrubbing material using diatoms-enriched microalgae biochar. In the present study, the microalgae were cultivated on waste anaerobic digestate (biogas slurry) and were pyrolyzed at three different temperatures: 300 °C (BC300), 500 °C (BC500), and 700 °C (BC700). The BC500 and BC700 showed the highest removal efficiencies (99 %) for total volatile organic carbons (TVOCs) and formaldehyde (HCHO) at concentrations of 1.22 mg m-3 HCHO and 8.57 mg m-3 TVOC compared to 50% efficiency obtained with commercially available surgical, cloth, and N95 masks. The biochar obtained showed a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 238 m2 g-1 (BC500) and 480 m2 g-1 (BC700) and an average pore size of 9-11 nm due to the mesoporous characteristic of diatom frustules. The comparatively poor performance of BC300 was due to lower surface area (150 m2 g-1) arising from incomplete organic removal, as evidenced by FESEM-EDX and FTIR. The high removal efficiencies in BC500 and BC700 were also attributed to the presence of reactive functional groups such as -OH and R-NH2. Concurrently, the average particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) removal efficiency for BC500 and BC 700 ranged between 66 and 82.69 %. The PM removal performance of BC500 and BC700 was lower (15-20%) than commercially available masks. Overall, the present study highlights the importance of diatoms (reactive Si) present inside the pores of microalgal biochar for enhanced removal of PM, TVOCs, and HCHO at temperatures above 500 °C. This complete approach signifies a step towards establishing a self-sustainable and circular process characterized by minimal waste generation for indoor air treatment.

Exploring effective light spectral conversion techniques for enhanced production of Spirulina-derived blue pigment protein, c-phycocyanin.

Spirulina is a promising feedstock for c-phycocyanin, a blue pigment-protein, commercially incorporated in many food products for its desirable bright blue attributes, exceptional bioavailability, and inherent therapeutic properties. Remarkably, enhancing c-phycocyanin synthesis in Spirulina would facilitate economic viability and sustainability at large-scale production, as the forecasted market value is $ 409.8 million by 2030. Notably, the lighting source plays a key role in enhancing c-phycocyanin in Spirulina, and thus, strategies to filter/concentrate the photons of respective wavelengths, influencing light spectra, are beneficial. Enveloping open raceway ponds and greenhouses by luminescent solar concentrators and light filtering sheets enables solar spectral conversion of the sunlight at desirable wavelengths, emerges as a promising strategy to enhance synthesis of c-phycocyanin in Spirulina. Nevertheless, the conduction of techno-economic assessments and evaluation of scalability at large-scale cultivation of Spirulina are essential for the real-time implementation of lighting strategies.

Field-scale assessment of soil, water, plant, and soil microbiome in and around Rania-Khan Chandpur Chromium contaminated site, India.

Rania-Khan Chandpur site, (Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh, India), one of the highly Chromium (Cr) contaminated sites in India due to Chromite Ore Processing Residue (COPR), has been investigated at the field-scale. We found that the area around the COPR dumps was hazardously contaminated with the Cr where its concentrations in the surface water and groundwater were > 40 mgL-1, its maximum contents in the COPRs and in the soils of the adjoining lands were 9.6 wt% and 3.83 wt%, respectively. By exploring the vegetation and microbial distribution across the site, we advocate the appropriateness of Cynodon dactylon, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Cyperus sp., and Typha angustifolia as the most suitable phytoremediation agent because their association with Cr remediating bacterial species (Pseudomonas sp., Clostridium sp. and Bacillus sp.) was strong. Using this remarkable information for the bioremediation projects, this site can be re-vegetated and bioaugmented to remediate Cr in soils, waterlogged ditches, surface water, and in groundwater systems.

Unveiling the azo-reductase mechanism in Pseudomonas putida for efficient decolorization of textile Reactive dyes: an in-silico study.

The textile industry utilizing affordable azo dyes is a high threat to aquatic life and causes environmental problems due to their toxicity. Biodegradation of azo dyes employing microbes and enzymes has proved to be an efficient method for treating industrial effluent. This study used the novel microbial consortium to decolorize reactive azo dyes (Reactive Red 120; Reactive Black 5 and Reactive Blue 13), and its azo-reductase activity was evaluated. The metagenomic analysis of the consortium identified azo-reductase-producing bacterial species. The molecular docking revealed that PpAzoR from Pseudomonas putida had the highest binding affinities for all the three dyes such as Reactive Black 5 (-9.3 kcal/mol), Reactive Blue 13 (-9.8 kcal/mol) and Reactive Red 120 (-10.7 kcal/mol). The structural rigidity and stability of the docked complex were confirmed through MD simulations evaluated across multiple descriptors from the simulation trajectories. Further, MMPBSA analysis validated the results that binding of the ligands, i.e. dye molecules Reactive Black (RB5), Reactive Blue (RB13) and Reactive Red (RR120) binding with the Azoreductase (PpAzoR) to the screened Azo-dyes was spontaneous. Based on molecular dynamics simulations for 100 ns, RR 120 showed the highest binding affinity (-411.336 ± 46.799 KJ/mol), followed by RB5 (-288.012 ± 33.371 KJ/mol). The dyes (RR120 and RB5) exhibited stable interactions with the target azoreductase (PpAzoR). The present study provides insights that PpAzoR shows the highest decolorization potency, which could be interpreted as a potential dye-degrading protein based on dye-degrading assay findings.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

>90% decolourization observed for all reactive dyes at 72 hAzo reductase-producing bacterial species were identified using metagenomicsPseudomonas putida (PpAzoR) showed maximum binding affinity with all three dyesPositive correlation was established between dye decolourization and in-silico results.

Valorization of Kappaphycus alvarezii through extraction of high-value compounds employing green approaches and assessment of the therapeutic potential of κ-carrageenan.

This study utilizes different emerging green extraction technologies to recover maximum value-added products from Kappaphycus alvarezii and evaluate their bio-functional properties. Using the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method, the total lipid yield of 0.21 ± 0.2 % was obtained from the biomass. Linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, γ-linolenic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid were present in higher concentrations (9.12 %) in the lipid extracted with SFE as compared to hexane (5.5 %). Using an ultrasonication assisted approach, ~56 % of κ-carrageenan was recovered from SFE residual biomass, which contains 28.5 ± 1.9 % sulfate content. It exhibited a monosaccharide content of 3,6-anhydrogalactose (~24 %) and galactose (~53 %), as well as rheological properties within FAO limitations that can be explored for food-grade applications. ~58 % of the total protein (12.5 %) from SFE residual biomass was recovered using subcritical water hydrolysis method. The effectiveness of κ-carrageenan in suppressing the 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2 using in vitro and in silico approaches was investigated. κ-Carrageenan effectively inhibited the main protease by up to 93 % at 1.6 mg mL-1. In silico results revealed that κ-carrageenan successfully binds to the active site of the main protease while retaining the structural integrity and stability of protein-ligand complexes.

Life cycle assessment of sequential microbial-based anaerobic-aerobic reactor technology developed onsite for treating textile effluent.

Although biological treatment of textile effluent is a preferred option for industries avoiding toxic chemical sludge production and disposal, requirement of several extra pre-treatment units like neutralization, cooling systems or additives, results in higher operational cost. In the present study, a pilot scale sequential microbial-based anaerobic-aerobic reactor technology (SMAART) was developed and operated for the treatment of real textile effluent in the industrial premises in continuous mode for 180 d. The results showed an average ∼95% decolourization along with ∼92% reduction in the chemical oxygen demand establishing the resilience against fluctuations in the inlet parameters and climate conditions. Moreover, the pH of treated effluent was also reduced from alkaline range (∼11.05) to neutral range (∼7.76) along with turbidity reduction from ∼44.16 NTU to ∼0.14 NTU. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of SMAART with the conventional activated sludge process (ASP) showed that ASP caused 41.5% more negative impacts on environment than SMAART. Besides, ASP had 46.15% more negative impact on human health, followed by 42.85% more negative impact on ecosystem quality as compared to SMAART. This was attributed to less electricity consumption, absence of pre-treatment units (cooling and neutralization) and less volume of sludge generation (∼50%) while using SMAART. Hence, integration of SMAART within the industrial effluent treatment plant is recommended to achieve a minimum waste discharge system in pursuit of sustainability.

Deciphering the role of fucoidan from brown macroalgae in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 by targeting its main protease and receptor binding domain: Invitro and insilico approach.

The current study investigated the role of fucoidan from Padina tetrastromatica and Turbinaria conoides against 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro) and receptor binding domain (RBD) spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 using an invitro and computational approach. The 3CLpro and RBD genes were successfully cloned in pET28a vector, expressed in BL-21DE3 E. coli rosetta cells and purified by ion exchange affinity and size exclusion chromatography. Fucoidan extracted from both biomass using green approach, subcritical water, was found to inhibit 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2 with an IC50 value of up to 0.35 mg mL-1. However, fucoidan was found to be inactive against the RBD protein. Molecular docking studies demonstrated that fucoidan binds to the active sites of 3CLpro with an affinity of -5.0 kcal mol-1. In addition, molecular dynamic simulations recorded stabilized interactions of protein-ligand complexes in terms of root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, the radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area and hydrogen bond interaction. The binding energy of fucoidan with 3CLpro was determined to be -101.821 ± 12.966 kJ mol-1 using Molecular Mechanic/Poisson-Bolt-Boltzmann Surface Area analysis. Fucoidan satisfies the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) properties, including Lipinski's rule of five, which play an essential role in drug design. According to the toxicity parameters, fucoidan does not exhibit skin sensitivity, hepatotoxicity, or AMES toxicity. Therefore, this work reveals that fucoidan from brown macroalgae could act as possible inhibitors in regulating the function of the 3CLpro protein, hence inhibiting viral replication and being effective against COVID-19.

An integration of algae-mediated wastewater treatment and resource recovery through anaerobic digestion.

Eutrophication is one of the major emerging challenges in aquatic environment. Industrial facilities, including food, textile, leather, and paper, generate a significant amount of wastewater during their manufacturing process. Discharge of nutrient-rich industrial effluent into aquatic systems causes eutrophication, eventually disturbs the aquatic system. On the other hand, algae provide a sustainable approach to treat wastewater, while the resultant biomass may be used to produce biofuel and other valuable products such as biofertilizers. This review aims to provide new insight into the application of algal bloom biomass for biogas and biofertilizer production. The literature review suggests that algae can treat all types of wastewater (high strength, low strength, and industrial). However, algal growth and remediation potential mainly depend on growth media composition and operation conditions such as light intensity, wavelength, light/dark cycle, temperature, pH, and mixing. Further, the open pond raceways are cost-effective compared to closed photobioreactors, thus commercially applied for biomass generation. Additionally, converting wastewater-grown algal biomass into methane-rich biogas through anaerobic digestion seems appealing. Environmental factors such as substrate, inoculum-to-substrate ratio, pH, temperature, organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time, and carbon/nitrogen ratio significantly impact the anaerobic digestion process and biogas production. Overall, further pilot-scale studies are required to warrant the real-world applicability of the closed-loop phycoremediation coupled biofuel production technology.

Mechanistic insights on enzyme mediated-metabolite cascade during decolourization of Reactive Blue 13 using novel microbial consortium.

Understanding the role of oxido-reductase enzymes followed by deciphering the functional genes and their corresponding proteins are crucial for the speculation of molecular mechanism for azo dye degradation. In the present study, decolourization efficiency of developed microbial consortium was tested using 100 mgL-1 reactive blue 13 (RB13) and the results showed ∼92.67% decolourization of RB13 at 48 h of incubation. The fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis were performed to identify the metabolites formed during RB13 degradation, followed by hypothesizing the metabolic pathway. The GC-MS analysis showed formation of 1,4-dihydronaphthalen-1-ol and 1,3,5-triazin-2-amine as the final degraded compounds after enzymatic breakdown of RB13 dye. The activity of different oxido-reductase enzymes was determined, and the results showed that NADH DCIP reductase and azo reductase had higher activity than other enzymes. It clearly indicated the degradation was initiated with the enzymatic cleavage of azo bond of RB13. Further, the functional genes were annotated against the database of clusters of orthologous groups (COGs) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG). It provided valuable information about the role of crucial functional genes and their corresponding proteins correlated with dominant bacterial species in degradation of RB13. Hence, the present research is the first systematic study that correlated the formation of degradation compounds with the functional genes/enzymes and their corresponding bacterial species responsible for RB13 degradation.

Hybrid electrocoagulation and laccase mediated treatment for efficient decolorization of effluent generated from textile industries.

Enzymatic (laccase mediated) decolorization of dyes remains inefficient for recalcitrant dyes, which can be better handled by electrocoagulation (EC). However, EC is energy intensive and produce large amount of sludge. In light of the same, present study offers a promising solution for the treatment of textile effluent meeting surface discharge norms, using hybridization of enzymatic and electrocoagulation treatment. The findings revealed best color removal (90%) of undiluted (raw) textile effluent (4592 hazen) is achievable by employing EC using zinc-coated iron electrode at current density 25 mA cm-2 followed by partially purified laccase (LT) treatment, and activated carbon (AC) polishing at ambient conditions. Overall, the decolorization performance of Hybrid EC-LT integrated AC approach was 1.95 times better than only laccase treatment. Also, the sludge generation from Hybrid EC-LT integrated AC (0.7 g L-1) was 3.3 times lesser than EC alone (2.1 g L-1). Therefore, the present study recommends Hybrid EC-LT integrated AC could be potential approach to treat complex textile effluent sustainably with lower energy input and waste sludge generation.

A biphasic photobioreactor system for consecutive extraction of lipids and carotenoids from pre-hydrolysed microalgae and evaluation of its biodiesel potential.

A green extraction method is developed using partially hydrolysed microalgal cells grown in biocompatible solvent for simultaneous cultivation and extraction of bioproducts from a highly efficient permeabilized microalgal cell with enhanced biomass and lipid content for potential use in biodiesel production. Incomplete digestion of cell wall was achieved by regulating the incubation time of the enzymatic pretreatment of the microalgal cells. 15.77% increase in lipid content was seen when untreated cells were cultured with biocompatible solvent, while cultivation of these enzymatically pretreated cells with biocompatible solvent, the lipid content increased by 53.33% and 22% higher carotenoid content was observed as compared to conventional extraction. The total fatty acids obtained after 1st and 2nd extractions in untreated samples were 67.82%, while those in enzymatically partially digested samples were 91.94%. The untreated and partially enzymatically predigested strain showed suitable properties for quality biodiesel production as per international recommendations. The cost benefit analysis of the overall process showed the use of biocompatible solvent coupled to enzymatically predigested biomass was a favorable option as compared to conventional extraction.

Cultivation of Navicula sp. on rice straw hydrolysate for the production of biogenic silica.

Rice straw hydrolysate (RSH) prepared at room temperature was found to be rich in silica (140 ± 4.1 mg L-1) and other nutrients (nitrate-N: 160 ± 4.3 mg L-1, total dissolve phosphate: 164 ± 6.7 mg L-1, ammoniacal-N: 439.8 ± 17 mg L-1). The aim of this work was to study four RSH dilutions (10, 30, 50, 70% v/v) to cultivate Navicula sp. with modified ASN-III as a control. The best result was achieved in 30% RSH in terms ofdoubling time (d = 1.49 days) and growth rate (µmax = 0.46 day-1). Compared to control, specific growth rate and biomass productivity were increased by 2.93 folds and 1.85 folds, respectively. Cultivation in 5 L reactor with optimized 30% RSH yielded frustule (54.2 ± 1.9%), carbohydrate (12.4 ± 1.2%), lipid (18.9 ± 1.4%), and protein (8.2 ± 0.6%). The residual solid fraction showed 18.99% increased theoretical methane yield than raw rice straw. Overall, the present process offers a sustainable solution to manage rice straw residue and recover nanoporous silica.

Development of Wash-Durable Antimicrobial Cotton Fabrics by In Situ Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Investigation of Their Antimicrobial Efficacy against Drug-Resistant Bacteria.

An environment friendly and wash-durable silver nanoparticle treatment of cotton fabrics was carried out by in situ reduction of silver nitrate using Azadirachta indica leaf extract. The wash durability of the silver nanoparticles treatment on the cotton fabric was improved by pretreating the fabrics by mercerization and by adopting hydrothermal conditions of 120 °C temperature and 15 psi pressure for the in situ synthesis. The silver nanoparticle treated fabrics were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, colorimetric analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The coating of silver nanoparticles was seen to be dense and uniform in the scanning electron micrographs of the treated fabrics. An evaluation of the antibacterial efficacy of the silver nanoparticle treated fabric against antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains was carried out. The antibacterial efficacy was found to be the highest against Bacillus licheniformis, showing 93.3% inhibition, whereas it was moderate against Klebsiella pneumoniae (20%) and Escherichia coli (10%). The transmittance data of a UV spectrophotometer (290-400nm) was used for measuring the UV protection factor of the silver nanoparticle treated fabrics. All the silver nanoparticle treated fabrics showed good antimicrobial and UV protection activity. The treatment was also seen to be durable against repeated laundering. This paper contributes the first report on a novel green synthesis approach integrating mercerization of cotton fabrics and in situ synthesis of nanoparticles under hydrothermal conditions using Azadirachta indica leaf extract for improved wash durability of the multifunctional fabric.

Insight Into the Molecular Mechanisms Underpinning the Mycoremediation of Multiple Metals by Proteomic Technique.

We investigated the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus PD-18 responses when subjected to the multimetal combination (Total Cr, Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+) in synthetic composite media. To understand how multimetal stress impacts fungal cells at the molecular level, the cellular response of A. fumigatus PD-18 to 30 mg/L multimetal stress (5 mg/L of each heavy metal) was determined by proteomics. The comparative fungal proteomics displayed the remarkable inherent intracellular and extracellular mechanism of metal resistance and tolerance potential of A. fumigatus PD-18. This study reported 2,238 proteins of which 434 proteins were exclusively expressed in multimetal extracts. The most predominant functional class expressed was for cellular processing and signaling. The type of proteins and the number of proteins that were upregulated due to various stress tolerance mechanisms were post-translational modification, protein turnover, and chaperones (42); translation, ribosomal structure, and biogenesis (60); and intracellular trafficking, secretion, and vesicular transport (18). In addition, free radical scavenging antioxidant proteins, such as superoxide dismutase, were upregulated upto 3.45-fold and transporter systems, such as protein transport (SEC31), upto 3.31-fold to combat the oxidative stress caused by the multiple metals. Also, protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed that cytochrome c oxidase and 60S ribosomal protein played key roles to detoxify the multimetal. To the best of our knowledge, this study of A. fumigatus PD-18 provides valuable insights toward the growing research in comprehending the metal microbe interactions in the presence of multimetal. This will facilitate in development of novel molecular markers for contaminant bioremediation.

Implication of microplastic toxicity on functioning of microalgae in aquatic system.

Microplastics (MPs) released from both primary and secondary sources affect the functioning of aquatic system. These MPs and components leached, can interact with aquatic organisms of all trophic levels, including the primary producers, such as microalgae. Considering the ecological value of microalgae and the toxicological effects of MPs towards them, this review provides: (1) a detailed understanding of the interactions between MPs and microalgae in the complex natural environment; (2) a discussion about the toxic effects of single type and mixtures of plastic particles on the microalgae cells, and (3) a discussion about the impacts of MPs on various features of microalgae -based bioremediation technology. For this purpose, toxic effects of MPs on various microalgal species were compiled and plastic components of MPs were ranked on the basis of their toxic effects. Based on available data, ranking for various plastic components was found to be: Polystyrene (PS) (rank 1) > Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) > Polypropylene (PP) > Polyethylene (PE) (rank 4). Furthermore, the review suggested the need to understand joint toxicity of MPs along with co-contaminants on microalgae as the presence of other pollutants along with MPs might affect microalgae differently. In-depth investigations are required to check the impact of MPs on microalgae-based wastewater treatment technology and controlling factors.

Comparative Life-Cycle assessment of microalgal biomass production in conventional growth media versus newly developed nanoemulsion media.

Microalgae biomass is a potential feedstock for biodiesel, animal feed, biofertilizer, and other products such as bioactive compounds. Most of the reported studies describe microalgae as a green process, however, the impacts associated with its growth media and cultivation have seldom been studied. With an aim to analyze the environmental impacts, the present study compares the life-cycle assessment of microalgal cultivation in two growth media. The data used was obtained from the experimental sets where microalgaeC. pyrenoidosawas cultivated in BG11 (control or SC-1) and silicone oil nanoemulsion (previously developed medium or SC-2) on a lab scale. The environmental impacts were evaluated using the ReCiPe midpoint and endpoint method using Sima Pro 9.0 software based on a "cradle-to-gate" approach. The total environmental score for 1 kg microalgal biomass production was 99.25Pt in SC-1, and 53.39Ptin SC-2, concluding greater environmental burden by SC-1. The photobioreactor construction material along with the operation led to maximum emissions, human toxicity, and resource depletion. In summary, the newly developed nanoemulsion medium was found to be eco-friendly that has the potential to minimize the usage of conventional nutrients and resources.

Yeast assisted algal flocculation for enhancing nutraceutical potential of Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

The present research describes yeast assisted algal flocculation followed by evaluation of algae-yeast flocs for nutritional profile as potent food product. Co-flocculation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa using Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed 58.33 ± 2.37% flocculation efficiency. Nutrient composition of algae-yeast flocs (CP-Y) depicted higher protein content (35.52%) as compared to algae (23.72%) and yeast biomass (33.89). Amino acid profiles of CP-Y biomass depicted increase in essential amino acid content with higher ratio of essential to non-essential amino acid (0.68) as compared to Y (0.57) and CP (0.57) biomass. Lipid and carbohydrate content of CP-Y flocs was estimated as 26.95 ± 0.57% and 21.12 ± 0.83%, respectively. Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) analysis showed presence of omega rich polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) like α-linolenic acid (ω-3), Linoleic acid (ω-6), Palmitoleic acid (ω-7) etc in CP-Y biomass. The study provides novel insights on nutrition enriched biomass obtained after algal-yeast flocculation, which can be a better alternative to existing flocculation methods for food applications.

A novel nanoemulsion-based microalgal growth medium for enhanced biomass production.

BACKGROUND: Microalgae are well-established feedstocks for applications ranging from biofuels to valuable pigments and therapeutic proteins. However, the low biomass productivity using commercially available growth mediums is a roadblock for its mass production. This work describes a strategy to boost algal biomass productivity by using an effective CO2 supplement. RESULTS: In the present study, a novel nanoemulsion-based media has been tested for the growth of freshwater microalgae strain Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Two different nanoemulsion-based media were developed using 1% silicone oil nanoemulsion (1% SE) and 1% paraffin oil nanoemulsion (1% PE) supplemented in Blue-green 11 media (BG11). After 12 days of cultivation, biomass yield was found highest in 1% PE followed by 1% SE and control, i.e., 3.20, 2.75, and 1.03 g L-1, respectively. The chlorophyll-a synthesis was improved by 76% in 1% SE and 53% in 1% PE compared with control. The respective microalgal cell numbers for 1% PE, 1% SE and control measured using the cell counter were 3.00 × 106, 2.40 × 106, and 1.34 × 106 cells mL-1. The effective CO2 absorption tendency of the emulsion was highlighted as the key mechanism for enhanced algal growth and biomass production. On the biochemical characterization of the produced biomass, it was found that the nanoemulsion-cultivated C. pyrenoidosa had increased lipid (1% PE = 26.80%, 1% SE = 23.60%) and carbohydrates (1% PE = 17.20%, 1% SE = 18.90%) content compared to the control (lipid = 18.05%, carbohydrates = 13.60%). CONCLUSIONS: This study describes a novel nanoemulsion which potentially acts as an effective CO2 supplement for microalgal growth media thereby increasing the growth of microalgal cells. Further, nanoemulsion-cultivated microalgal biomass depicts an increase in lipid and carbohydrate content. The approach provides high microalgal biomass productivity without altering morphological characteristics like cell shape and size as revealed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images.

Utilization of starch effluent from a textile industry as a fungal growth supplement for enhanced α-amylase production for industrial application.

Desizing process in textile industry produces large volume of starch effluent. This carbon-rich waste can be used for resource recovery, such as the production of industrially useful enzymes. The present work assesses the usability of starch effluent from textile industry as an additional carbon source for enhanced production of α-amylase during solid-state fermentation (SSF) of agro-wastes by Trichoderma reesei. A significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in α-amylase activity (25.48 ± 1.12 U mL-1) was observed with supplementation of starch effluent in SSF. Partial purification of α-amylase by 80% ammonium sulphate precipitation produced a yield of 58.39% enzyme with purification fold of 1.89. The enzyme was thermally stable at 40 °C with 90% residual activity after 5 h and 70% residual activity at 50 °C after 3 h. Using Michaelis-Menten kinetics analysis, the estimated Km and Vmax values for the partially purified α-amylase were found to be 2.55 mg mL-1 and 53.47 U mg-1, respectively. For the rapid assessment of the industrial application, desizing of the fabric was attempted. The cotton fabric was efficiently desized using α-amylase (at a concentration of 1% on the weight of fabric basis) at 80 °C. The present work demonstrates starch effluent from desizing process as a resource for the production of amylase. The amylase can further be used in the desizing process. With in-depth research, the work may lead to the development of a closed-loop, waste-recycling process for the textile industry.

Potential of formulated Dyadobacter jiangsuensis strain 12851 for enhanced bioremediation of chlorpyrifos contaminated soil.

Chlorpyrifos (O, O-diethyl O-3, 5, 6-trichloropyridin-2-yl phosphorothioate) is a toxic and chlorinated organic contaminant in soils across the globe. The present study examines the chlorpyrifos (CP) degrading potential of gram-negative bacterium Dyadobacter jiangsuensis (MTCC 12851), to be a promising and sustainable remedial approach. The proliferation of D. jiangsuensis in the chlorpyrifos spiked minimal salt media indicated the ability of this strain to utilize CP as a sole carbon source and also confirmed the utilization of 3,5,6- trichloro-2-pyridinyl (TCP) through silver nitrate assay. The strain 12851 degraded 80.36% and 76.93% chlorpyrifos (CP) in aqueous medium and soil environment, respectively. The water dispersible granules (WDG) of 45% (v/w) inoculum (bacterial suspension) were developed using talcum powder, acacia gum and alginic acid as key ingredients. The formulated strain (12851) achieved 21.13% enhanced CP degradation in soil under microcosm condition as compared to the unformulated one on 15th day of the treatment. The intermediate metabolites namely 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), tetrahydropyridine, thiophosphate and phenol, 1, 3-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl) were detected during the CP degradation. The current investigation reveals D. jiangsuensis as a potential microbe for CP degradation and opens up the possibility of exploiting its formulations to remediate the CP polluted soils.