Fungal bioremediation
Event details
| Date | 18.10.2010 |
| Hour | 16:15 |
| Speaker | Pavko, Aleksander (University of Ljubjana, SI) |
| Location |
GR A3 31
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
In the last three decades, research interest in fungal bioremediation has significantly increased.
The research in decolorization and degradation of synthetic dyes at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology at the University of Ljubljana is focused on enzyme production with several fungi. Activity measurement of various oxidative enzymes shows that initially lignin peroxidases (Lac) and subsequently manganese dependent peroxidases (MnP) are responsible for the decolorization.
The production of extracellular ligninolytic enzymes during dye decolorization was measured and the involvement of mycelium-associated activities in the decolorization process assessed. A repeated batch performance test demonstrated the potential of immobilized fungal cultures to decolorize synthetic dyes over long time. The different reactor systems were compared: trickle-bed, rotating-disc and stirred-bed reactor. The highest dye decolorization efficiency (90% in 3 days) was observed in the small trickle bed reactor by the fungus Irpex lacteus.
The influence of various support materials like oak wood, pine wood, beech wood and inert material like polyurethane foam (PUF), as well as liquid media composition on the production of Lac and MnP activities was investigated.
The capability of the produced enzymes to decolorize different organic dyes was tested. It was found that good wooden supports and inducers are beech wood and pine wood, while the additional nitrogen and carbon source also influence the enzyme synthesis. On the basis of these results, three types of culture media and support materials were prepared to achieve the excess of Lac and MnP activities. Procedure for the enzyme production in stationary cultures was optimized for different fungi regarding the type of sugar as a carbon source, beech wood and pine wood as inductor and immobilization support material. Structurally different dyes were used to test the prepared enzyme mixtures.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Contact
- Schwitzguebel, Jean-Paul (LBE)