mcrA Gene Abundance Correlates with Hydrogenotrophic Methane Production Rates in Full-scale Anaerobic Waste Treatment Systems

Authors

R. L. Morris, Marquette University
Vaibhav Panjabrao Tale, Marquette University
P. P. Mathai, Marquette UniversityFollow
Daniel Zitomer, Marquette UniversityFollow
James Maki, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

8 p.; 25 cm

Publication Date

2-2016

Publisher

Wiley

Source Publication

Letters in Applied Microbiology

Source ISSN

0266-8254

Original Item ID

doi: 10.1111/lam.12515; PubMed Central, PMID: 26509245; Shelves: QR 1 .L45 2016 v. 62, Memorial Periodicals

Abstract

Anaerobic treatment is a sustainable and economical technology for waste stabilization and production of methane as a renewable energy. However, the process is under-utilized due to operational challenges. Organic overload or toxicants can stress the microbial community that performs waste degradation, resulting in system failure. In addition, not all methanogenic microbial communities are equally capable of consistent, maximum biogas production. Opinion varies as to which parameters should be used to monitor the fitness of digester biomass. No standard molecular tools are currently in use to monitor and compare full-scale operations. It was hypothesized that determining the number of gene copies of mcrA, a methanogen-specific gene, would positively correlate with specific methanogenic activity (SMA) rates from biomass samples from six full-scale anaerobic digester systems. Positive correlations were observed between mcrA gene copy numbers and methane production rates against H₂ : CO₂ and propionate (R² = 0·67–0·70, P < 0·05) but not acetate (R² = 0·49, P > 0·05). Results from this study indicate that mcrA gene targeted qPCR can be used as an alternate tool to monitor and compare certain methanogen communities in anaerobic digesters.

Comments

Accepted version. Letters in Applied Microbiology, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 2016): 111-118. DOI. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Morris, R. L.; Tale, Vaibhav Panjabrao; Mathai, P. P.; Zitomer, Daniel; and Maki, James, "mcrA Gene Abundance Correlates with Hydrogenotrophic Methane Production Rates in Full-scale Anaerobic Waste Treatment Systems" (2016). Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 506.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bio_fac/506