Abstract
Acidogenic fermentation offers a means to renewably refine biomass to volatile fatty acids from which industrial chemicals can be sustainably derived. Small molecules (bromoethane sulfonate) are used in the literature to inhibit methanogenesis and improve fatty acid yields but are impractical at industrial scale due to cost. The red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis has been shown to provide methanogenesis inhibition in the microbiome of the ruminant gut over short retention times (up to 72 h), but its suitability for bioreactor control has not been previously characterised. This study investigated the responses of both rumen fluid and anaerobic digester sludge to various Asparagopsis doses. In rumen fluid, doses of ≥5% Asparagopsis showed equivalent inhibition to bromoethane sulfonate at retention times under 30 days, producing VFA of both similar yields and qualities to this standard inhibitor. Digester sludge was not found to respond to Asparagopsis treatment at the levels tested, suggesting a specificity of treatment to microbial community. These data support the application of Asparagopsis as a scalable reactor control agent for rumen-driven fermenter configurations.
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