New Peer-Reviewed Publication: Advancing Potassium Carbonate–Based CO₂ Capture
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new peer-reviewed study demonstrating the technical feasibility of potassium carbonate–based CO₂ capture as a robust alternative to conventional amine systems. Using detailed rate-based process modelling, the study achieves approximately 90% CO₂ removal across representative industrial flue gas streams, including cement production, biomass combustion, and biogas upgrading. […]
Crude Microalgae Extract for Increased CO2 Capture and Higher Biomass Production in Algal Cultivation Systems
Authors: Maja Berden-Zrimec, Domen Lazar, Domen Trontelj, Elli Maria Barampouti, Sofia Mai, Dimitrios Malamis, Robert Reinhardt This study demonstrates that crude microalgal extracts containing carbonic anhydrase (CA) can enhance inorganic carbon utilization in algal cultivation. CA-containing extracts prepared from Scenedesmus-dominated biomass were shown to increase specific growth rates of Chlorella sorokiniana by 21–82% in digestate-based […]
Enhanced Microbial Diversity Attained Under Short Retention and High Organic Loading Conditions Promotes High Volatile Fatty Acid Production Efficiency
Authors: Claudia Chao-Reyes, Rudolphus Antonius Timmers, Ahmed Mahdy, Silvia Greses, Cristina González-Fernández This study investigates how short hydraulic retention times and high organic loading rates influence microbial community dynamics and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. Operating at an HRT of 11 days and an organic loading rate of 4.4 g COD/L/d resulted in a VFA […]
Assessment of the Performance of Packing Materials in Trickle Bed Reactors for Efficient Biomethanation
Authors: Alexandros Chatzis, Maria Gaspari, Konstantinos N. Kontogiannopoulos, Davide Sanguineti, Guido Zampieri, Anastasios I. Zouboulis, Panagiotis G. Kougias This study evaluates the impact of different packing materials on the performance of trickle bed reactors used for biological CO2 methanation. Raschig Rings allowed a successful reduction in gas retention time at 25 min with >95% CH4 […]
Hydrogen Excess Drives Metabolic Reprogramming and Viral Dynamics in Syngas-Converting Microbiomes
Authors: Gabriele Ghiotto, Luca Francescato, Maria Agustina Biancalani, Laura Treu, Stefano Campanaro This study reveals that excess hydrogen triggers profound metabolic and viral remodeling in thermophilic anaerobic microbiomes used for syngas methanation. Transcriptional downregulation of methanogenesis genes in Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, alongside upregulation of CRISPR-Cas defense systems, was observed. These findings shed light on microbial instability […]
Modelling Microbial and Metabolic Shifts in Trickle Bed Reactor Biomethanation at Decreasing Gas Retention Times
Authors: Davide Sanguineti, Alexandros Chatzis, Guido Zampieri, Maria Gaspari, Panagiotis G. Kougias, Stefano Campanaro, Laura Treu This study applies genome-resolved metagenomics combined with condition-specific metabolic models to follow a thermophilic trickle bed reactor during stepwise reductions in gas retention time. Abrupt shortening provoked a reproducible community transition where putative homoacetogenic bacteria displaced minor bacteria and […]
Biorefinery-Based Energy Recovery from Algae: Comparative Evaluation of Liquid and Gaseous Biofuels
Authors: Panagiotis Fotios Chatzimaliakas, Dimitrios Malamis, Sofia Mai, Elli Maria Barampouti This research examines the generation of bioethanol and biomethane using freshly harvested and sedimented algal biomass through a biorefinery approach. Under optimized conditions of 0.3 M NaOH, 25 µL/g starch and 250 µL/g cellulose, ethanol concentrations reached up to 2.75 g/L. The integrated process […]
Energy Recovery from Algal Biomass: Evaluating Sequential Bioethanol and Biomethane Production Pathways
Authors: P.F. Chatzimaliakas, S. Mai, D. Malamis, E.M. Barampouti This study evaluates an integrated approach for producing bioethanol and biomethane from microalgae, using a factorial design to assess the effects of processing variables and enzyme dosages while maximizing ethanol yield. The research also examines the potential of valorizing the residual biomass for biomethane generation via […]
Enhancing Biogas Production and Methane Yields Through Microbial Electrolysis Cell-Assisted Anaerobic Digestion
Authors: Ruud Timmers, Enrique Pérez-Zapatero, Fernán Berride García, Miriam Barrazón Peña, Miguel Ángel Sánchez Gatón, Dolores Hidalgo This study investigates the integration of microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) with anaerobic digestion (AD) to enhance biogas production and energy recovery in waste treatment. The hybrid AD-MEC system demonstrated consistent improvements over conventional AD, with graphite felt electrodes […]
Article: From Microalgae to Biofuels: Investigating Valorization Pathways Towards Biorefinery Integration
We are pleased to inform you that the article “From Microalgae to Biofuels: Investigating Valorization Pathways Towards Biorefinery Integration” has been published in Processes as part of the Special Issue Progress on Biomass Processing and Conversion and is available online at the following links:
Harnessing the Influence of Pressure and Nutrients on Biological CO2 Methanation Using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural Network—Genetic Algorithm Approaches
Authors: Alexandros Chatzis, Konstantinos N. Kontogiannopoulos, Nikolaos Dimitrakakis, Anastasios Zouboulis, Panagiotis G. Kougias This study investigates the combined effects of trace element concentrations (Fe(II), Ni(II), Co(II)) and applied pressure on biological CO2 methanation performance. The ANN-GA optimization indicated 97.9% methane production efficiency at 1.5 bar pressure and trace metal concentrations of 25.0 mg/L Fe(II), 0.20 […]
Biogenic CO2 Emissions in the EU Biofuel and Bioenergy Sector: Mapping Sources, Regional Trends, and Pathways for Capture and Utilisation
Authors: Diogenis Christianides, Dimitra Antonia Bagaki, Rudolphus Antonius Timmers, Maja Berden Zrimec, Anastasia Theodoropoulou, Irini Angelidaki, Panagiotis Kougias, Guido Zampieri, Najla Kamergi, Alfredo Napoli, Dimitris Malamis, Sofia Mai, Elli Maria Barampouti This study maps biogenic CO2 emissions from over 18,000 biofuel and bioenergy facilities across EU Member States, covering sectors including biogas, biomethane, bioethanol, syngas, […]
Advances in Spirulina Cultivation: Techniques, Challenges, and Applications
Authors: Maja Berden Zrimec, Eleonora Sforza, Leonardo Pattaro, Davide Carecci, Elena Ficara, Antonio Idà, Narcís Ferrer-Ledo, Stefano Canziani, Silvio Mangini, Borut Lazar, Sophia Papadaki, Giorgos Markou, Ioannis Tzovenis, Robert Reinhardt This chapter presents challenges and possible solutions to ensure high-grade Spirulina production, covering cultivation techniques from low-technology open systems to high-end closed photobioreactors. A bioprocess […]
Unraveling Prevalence of Homoacetogenesis and Methanogenesis Pathways Due to Inhibitors Addition
Authors: Rebecca Serna-García, Panagiotis Tsapekos, Laura Treu, Alberto Bouzas, Aurora Seco, Stefano Campanaro, Irini Angelidaki This study evaluates three inhibitors — sodium ionophore III (ETH2120), carbon monoxide (CO), and sodium 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES) — for their effects on CO2 biomethanation microbiomes. Methane was produced via methylotrophic methanogenesis only when adding ETH2120 or CO, but not BES, […]