Saubhik Haldar

Utilization of vinasse for production of poly-3-(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) by Haloferax mediterranei

Vinasse, a highly polluting waste of the ethanol industry was utilized for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by the extremely halophilic archaeon, Haloferax mediterranei in shake-flasks. Following pre-treatment through adsorption on activated carbon, 25%-50% (v/v) pre-treated vinasse was utilized leading to 70% maximum accumulation of PHA. Maximum PHA concentration of 19.7 g/l, product yield coefficient (based on total carbohydrates) of 0.87 and 0.21 g/l h volumetric productivity were achieved. Concomitant lowering of BOD5 of pre-treated vinasse by at least 78% and COD by at least 80% was attained at the end of this process. The PHA was recovered by osmotic lysis of the cells and purification by sodium hypochlorite and organic solvents. Through UV–vis spectroscopy, gas chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the PHA was identified as poly-3-(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate). The 3-hydroxyvalerate content was 12.36 mol % (utilizing 25% pre-treated vinasse) and 14.09 mol % (utilizing 50% pre-treated vinasse). High salt concentration in the medium allowed this process without sterile conditions and thus reduction in costs of sterilization can be envisaged. Activated charcoal pre-treatment of vinasse is economical than competing processes such as ultrafiltration of whey, extrusion and enzymatic treatment of rice and corn starch. Without impacting sugar prices, this process can easily be integrated into a distillery that has fermentation equipment and trained personnel. High PHA content, productivity, zero-cost carbon source, low-cost isolation of a high-purity product and potential integration into ethanol manufacturing unit with concomitant wastewater treatment should merit further development of this process to higher scales.

Alteration of Zeta potential and membrane permeability in bacteria: a study with cationic agents

In the present study, we have tried to establish the correlation between changes in Zeta potential with that of cell surface permeability using bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). An effort has been made to establish Zeta potential as a possible marker for the assessment of membrane damage, with a scope for predicting alteration of cell viability. Cationic agents like, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and polymyxin B were used for inducing alteration of Zeta potential, and the changes occurring in the membrane permeability were studied. In addition, assessment of poly-dispersity index (PDI), cell viability along with confocal microscopic analysis were performed. Based on our results, it can be suggested that alteration of Zeta potential may be correlated to the enhancement of membrane permeability and PDI, and it was observed that beyond a critical point, it leads to cell death (both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria). The present findings can not only be used for studying membrane active molecules but also for understanding the surface potential versus permeability relationship.

Utilization of vinasse for the production of polyhydroxybutyrate by Haloarcula marismortui

Vinasse, a recalcitrant waste of the ethanol industry was employed for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by the extremely halophilic archaeon, Haloarcula marismortui in shake flasks. The PHA was recovered by osmotic lysis of the cells and subsequent purification by sodium hypochlorite and organic solvents. Through UV–vis spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the PHA was found to have characteristics very similar to that of the standard polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from Sigma. Inhibitory effect of polyphenols contained in vinasse was assessed by a quick and reliable cup-plate agar-diffusion method. Raw vinasse (10%) was utilized leading to accumulation of 23% PHA (of cell dry weight) and following an efficacious pre-treatment process through adsorption on activated carbon, 100% pre-treated vinasse could be utilized leading to 30% accumulation of PHB by H. marismortui. Maximum specific growth rate, specific production rate, and volumetric productivity attained using 10% raw vinasse were comparable to that obtained using a previously reported nutrient deficient medium (NDM), while the values with 100% pre-treated vinasse were higher than that determined using NDM medium. This is the first report of polyhydroxybutyrate production by a halophilic microorganism utilizing vinasse.

A systematic understanding of gelation self-assembly: solvophobically assisted supramolecular gelation via conformational reorientation across amide functionality on a hydrophobically modulated dipeptide based ambidextrous gelator, N-n-acyl-(L)Val-X(OBn), (X = 1,ω-amino acid)

A systematic investigation on gelation self-assembly has been performed on a hydrophobically modulated dipeptide based ambidextrous gelator, N-n-acyl-(L)Val-X(OBn), (X = 1,ω-amino acid). To elucidate the effect of hydrophobic tuning on gelator architecture towards its gelation self-assembly, three sets of gelators with a common formula: CmH2m+1C(O)NH(L)Val(CO)NH–(CH2)n–(CO)OBn, were synthesized, Set-I includes gelators with n = 2, m = 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, for Set-II it is n = 2, 3, 5, m = 13 and Set-III comprises of two isomeric gelators (n = 2, m = 15; n = 10, m = 7). Gelation has been critically analyzed in various apolar (aromatic and aliphatic) and polar (protic and aprotic) solvents using FESEM, CD, IR, WAXRD and rheological studies. Obtained results reveal that π–π type interaction dictates the primary molecular alignment and positioning of amide functionality across the aliphatic chain which influences the peptidic orientation in parallel (when m > n) or antiparallel (when m < n) β-sheet type organization in their self-assembly. The thermal stability, gelation number (GN), Tgel and yield stress of gel systems increases with m, but for a given m, the trend goes apparently inverse with the increasing n. Circular dichroism (CD) studies suggest an intriguing evidence of non-planarity of amide plane during self-assembly, highlighting the involvement of conformational change taking place during molecular organization towards its gelation. Despite complex nature of solvent–gelator interaction, the effect of H-bonding component of solubility parameters was found to have a significant role on self-assembly. Overall, supramolecular forces acting at specific functionalities encrypted in gelator backbone must overcome the solvation energy with synergic assistance of solvophobic effect towards stabilization of gel-network with optimum gelator backbone conformation for achieving required enthalpic contribution for self-assembly.

Enhanced Biotransformation of Fluoranthene by Intertidally Derived Cunninghamella elegans under Biofilm-Based and Niche-Mimicking Conditions

ABSTRACT The aims of the investigation were to ascertain if surface attachment of Cunninghamella elegans and niche intertidal conditions provided in a bioreactor influenced biotransformation of fluoranthene by C. elegans. A newly designed polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) conico-cylindrical flask (CCF) holding eight equidistantly spaced rectangular strips mounted radially on a circular disc allowed comparison of fluoranthene biotransformation between CCFs with a hydrophobic surface (PMMA-CCF) and a hydrophilic glass surface (GS-CCF) and a 500-ml Erlenmeyer flask (EF). Fluoranthene biotransformation was higher by 22-fold, biofilm growth was higher by 3-fold, and cytochrome P450 gene expression was higher by 2.1-fold when C. elegans was cultivated with 2% inoculum as biofilm culture in PMMA-CCF compared to planktonic culture in EF. Biotransformation was enhanced by 7-fold with 10% inoculum. The temporal pattern of biofilm progression based on three-channel fluorescence detection by confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated well-developed, stable biofilm with greater colocalization of fluoranthene within extracellular polymeric substances and filaments of the biofilm grown on PMMA in contrast to a glass surface. A bioreactor with discs rotating at 2 revolutions per day affording 6-hourly emersion and immersion mimicked the niche intertidal habitat of C. elegans and supported biofilm formation and transformation of fluoranthene. The amount of transformed metabolite was 3.5-fold, biofilm growth was 3-fold, and cytochrome P450 gene expression was 1.9-fold higher in the process mimicking the intertidal conditions than in a submerged process without disc rotation. In the CCF and reactor, where biofilm formation was comparatively greater, higher concentration of exopolysaccharides allowed increased mobilization of fluoranthene within the biofilm with consequential higher gene expression leading to enhanced volumetric productivity.

Production enhancement and characterization of the polyhydroxyalkanoate produced by Natrinema ajinwuensis (as synonym) ≡ Natrinema altunense strain RM-G10

Application of halophiles can decrease the cost of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production or bioplastic which are an alternative to the petroleum-derived plastic. Extremely halophilic archaeon, Natrinema ajinwuensis RM-G10 accumulated 61.02±0.68% PHA of its cell dry mass at 72h in repeated batch cultures yielding 0.210±0.001gL-1h-1 volumetric productivity after selection of the best cultivation conditions. Transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of PHA granules inside the archaeal cells. Characterization by gas chromatographic analysis, gas chromatographic- mass spectrophotometric analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the polymer to be poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with 13.93mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate content and having 35.45% crystallinity, -12.3°C glass transition temperature, 143°C and 157.5°C melting temperatures and 284°C degradation temperature. This is the first report on production enhancement (on a small scale) and characterization of the polyhydroxyalkanoate produced by Natrinema ajinwuensis (as synonym) ≡ Natrinema altunense strain RM-G10 and the Natrinema genus in general.

Tweaking of the supramolecular gelation properties of a dipeptide based ambidextrous organogelator through the cooperative influence of hydrophobicity, steric bulk and conformational flexibility of the side chain residue of a single hydrophobic α-amino acid encrypted on a designed molecular frame

The cooperative influence of the side chain hydrophobicity, steric volume and conformational flexibility of a single hydrophobic α-amino acid (αAA) has been found to be pivotal in the tuning of the gelation properties of a dipeptide based ambidextrous organogelator, N-n-hexadecanoyl-αAA-(β)Ala-OBn [αAA = L-isomers of Ala (4a), Val (4b), Leu (4c), Ile (4d), Phe (4e) and Gly (4f)]. An optimal balance among all the above parameters becomes apparently ideal for 4b ≥ 4d > 4a > 4c, whereas, between 4c and 4d with isomeric side chains, 4c shows much weaker gelation. Moreover, 4e gets the extra stability due to its side chain π–π type attractive interaction with an apparent pseudocentro-symmetric H-bonded amide network. The aromatic unit at the C-termini apparently helps a parallel β-sheet type alignment of gelators with an interdigitated N-acyl unit. Gelation ability has also been affected by the conformational flexibility of the side chains, while the Tgel value decreases with the increase in hydrophobicity of the media. The increase in hydrophobic bulk of the αAA-side chain of the gelator increases the Tgel values in polar aprotic solvents. WAXRD studies reveal a Pm3m type cubic lattice being omnipresent in their xerogels without much alteration of the interdigitated molecular arrangement, even on such structural modification; however, d100 values decrease on going from apolar to aprotic polar media, whereas, it increases on going from aprotic polar to protic polar solvents (except 4c). Therefore, a substantial hydrophobic influence is presumably operative in aprotic polar media, but a competitive H-bonding interaction from polar protic solvent reduces the compactness of the network. A comparable influence of hydrophobicity is found for 4c and 4d in the xerogel state. Gelation from the achiral variety (4f), though weak, emphasizes that proper alignment of supramolecularly interactive moieties and solvophobic association play primary roles towards gelation, which is reinforced by chirality. The solvent effect on such systems was further analyzed using various solvent parameters and found to have an important role in such a self-assembly process.