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Title: The microbiology and physiology of anaerobic fermentations of cellulose: Progress report, May 1987--October 1988

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6682572

The long term goals of this research project are to define (1) the mechanism(s) of the activation of molecular hydrogen in terms of the nickel-sulfur, nickel-selenium and non-heme iron redox centers and (2) to understand the physiological role of hydrogenases in the metabolism of the sulfate reducing bacteria and other anaerobic bacteria. Toward these goals, the presence of three different hydrogenases, termed the (Fe) hydrogenase, the (NiS) hydrogenase and the (NiSe) hydrogenase, have been demonstrated in the sulfate reducing bacteria (18) gram qualities of the hydrogenases prepared, molecular biological studies initiated (5,13) and a bioenergetic mechanism demonstrated which requires two or more hydrogenases (3). The goals of our study were to obtain properties of extreme thermophilic anaerobes involved in the degradation of cellulosic material to understand better the process of biomass conversion and its possible industrial studying organisms which grow naturally together with cellulose degraders and those which can be grown in cocultures with cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic bacteria to obtain special fermentation products. It also includes the study of the ability of a group of extreme thermophiles to grow over an extended temperature span of 40/degree/c or more and to examine a forwarded theory on the nature of temperature tolerant thermophiles. 43 refs., 3 figs.

Research Organization:
Georgia Univ., Athens (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
FG09-86ER13614
OSTI ID:
6682572
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/13614-2; ON: DE89002348
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English