Biological coagulation of skim latex using Acinetobacter sp. isolated from natural rubber latex centrifugation effluent

An Acinetobacter sp, isolated from latex centrifugation effluent, effectively coagulated skim rubber from skim latex. After coagulation for 48 h without the addition of any nutrients, at an optimum dilution of 1:10(v/v) and with an inoculum concentration of 6.4 mg dry cell /ml, the yield of the skim rubber was 8 % (w/v) and the COD of the residual solution was only 0.4 g/l. chemical coagulation at the same dilution resulted in 7 % (w/v) yield of dry rubber content and 2.2 g COD /l.

Production of Alkaline Protease by Free and Immobilised Cells of VIBRIO sp. Under Different Fermentation Systems and Its Application on Deproteinisation of Prawn Shell Waste for Chitin Recovery

This thesis presents a detailed account of a cost - effective approach towards enhanced production of alkaline protease at profitable levels using different fermentation designs employing cheap agro-industrial residues. It involves the optimisation of process parameters for the production of a thermostable alkaline protease by Vibrio sp. V26 under solid state, submerged and biphasic fermentations, production of the enzyme using cell immobilisation technology and the application of the crude enzyme on the deproteinisation of crustacean waste.The present investigation suggests an economic move towards Improved production of alkaline protease at gainful altitudes employing different fermentation designs utilising inexpensive agro-industrial residues. Moreover, the use of agro-industrial and other solid waste substrates for fermentation helps to provide a substitute in conserving the already dwindling global energy resources. Another alternative for accomplishing economically feasible production is by the use of immobilisation technique. This method avoids the wasteful expense of continually growing microorganisms. The high protease producing potential of the organism under study ascertains their exploitation in the utilisation and management of wastes. However, strain improvement studies for the production of high yielding variants using mutagens or by gene transfer are required before recommending them to Industries.Industries, all over the world, have made several attempts to exploit the microbial diversity of this planet. For sustainable development, it is essential to discover, develop and defend this natural prosperity. The Industrial development of any country is critically dependent on the intellectual and financial investment in this area. The need of the hour is to harness the beneficial uses of microbes for maximum utilisation of natural resources and technological yields. Owing to the multitude of applications in a variety of industrial sectors, there has always been an increasing demand for novel producers and resources of alkaline proteases as well as for innovative methods of production at a commercial altitude. This investigation forms a humble endeavour towards this perspective and bequeaths hope and inspiration for inventions to follow.

Pigment production by marine Serratia sp. BTWJ8

The marine microorganisms are yet to be exploited as a source of natural pigments for probable utilization in various industries. Hence, in this study focus was made only on pigment producing marine bacteria for pigment production and evaluation of the same for some application besides development of an ideal bioprocess for subsequent indigenous production of the pigment using the same organism towards ultimate industrial application.

Characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoates accumulating vibrios from marine benthic environments and production studies of polyhydroxyalkanoates by Vibrio sp. BTKB33

The present work deals with the characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoates accumulating vibrios from marine benthic environments and production studies of polyhydroxyalkanoates by vibrio sp.BTKB33. Vibrios are a group of (iram negative, curved or straight motile rods that normally inhabit the aquatic environments.The present study therefore aimed at evaluating the occurrence of PHA accumulating vibrios inhabiting marine benthic environments; characterizing the potential PHA accumulators employing phenotypic and genotypic approaches and molecular characterization of the PHA synthase gene. The study also evaluated the PHA production in V:'hri0 sp. strain BTKB33, through submerged fennentation using statistical optimization and characterized the purified biopolymer. Screening for PHA producing vibrios from marine benthic environments. Characterization of PHA producers employing phenotypic and genotypic approaches.The incidence of PHA accumulation in Vibrio sp. isolated from marine sediments was observed to be high, indicating that the natural habitat of these bacteria are stressful. Considering their ubiquitous nature, the ecological role played by vibrios in maintaining the delicate balance of the benthic ecosystem besides returning potential strains, with the ability to elaborate a plethora of extracellular enzymes for industrial application, is significant. The elaboration of several hydrolytic enzymes by individuals also emphasize the crucial role of vibrios in the mineralization process in the marine environment. This study throws light on the extracellular hydrolytic enzyme profile exhibited by vibrios. It was concluded that apart from the PHA accumulation, presence of exoenzyme production and higher MAR index also aids in their survival in the highly challenging benthic enviromnents. The phylogenetic analysis of the strains and studies on intra species variation within PHA accumulating strains reveal their diversity. The isolate selected for production in this study was Vibrio sp. strain BTKB33, identified as V.azureus by 16S rDNA sequencing and phenotypic characterization. The bioprocess variables for PHA production utilising submerged fermentation was optimized employing one-factor-at-a-time-method, PB design and RSM studies. The statistical optimization of bioprocess variables revealed that NaCl concentration, temperature and incubation period are the major bioprocess variables influencing PHA production and PHA content. The presence of Class I PHA synthase genes in BTKB33 was also unveiled. The characterization of phaC genes by PCR and of the extracted polymer employing FTIR and NMR analysis revealed the presence of polyhydroxybutyrate, smallest known PI-IAs, having wider domestic, industrial and medical application. The strain BTKB33 bearing a significant exoenzyme profile, can thus be manipulatedin future for utilization of diverse substrates as C- source for PHA production. In addition to BTKB33, several fast growing Vibrio sp. having PHA accumulating ability were also isolated, revealing the prospects of this environment as a mine for novel PHA accumulating microbes. The findings of this study will provide a reference for further research in industrial production of PHAs from marine microorganisms .