You are on page 1of 19

BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY

ENVE 442
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY

**90% of the mass of the living cell is water.


BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY

Empirical chemical formula of a


cell
C42H100N11O13P
The most simplex formula:
C5H7NO2
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Modes of Metabolism
Aerobic
Molecular oxygen
Anoxic
Bound oxygen (NO3-)
Anaerobic
H+
Co-Metabolism
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Reductants and Oxidants in Bacterial Respirat
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY

Ha
e ENERGY

&
CARBON (C)
f Cs
FOOD SOURCE

fe + fs = 1
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Hd + fe Ha + fs Cs

Hd = Electron donor half reaction; organic compound oxida


Ha = Electron acceptor half reaction
Cs = Cell synthesis reaction
fe = fraction of organic material oxidized for energy
fs = fraction of organic material used for microbial cell synt
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY

Electron fs value
Acceptor
Oxygen 0.12-0.6 (0.50)
Nitrate 0.1-0.5
Sulfate 0.04-0.2
Carbon dioxide 0.04-0.2
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Electron donor half reaction Hd

1/Z CaHbOcNd + (2a-c)/Z H2O a/Z CO2 + d/Z NH3 + H+ + e-

Z = 4a+b-2c-3d
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Electron acceptor half reactions
Ha
Molecular oxygen
Nitrate

Sulfate

Carbon dioxide
1/4 O2 + H+ + e- 1/2 O2
1/8 NO3- + H+ + 5/6e- 1/12 N2 + 1/2 H2O
1/8 SO42- + H+ + e- S2- + 1/2 H2O
1/8 CO2 + H+ + e- 1/8 CH4 + 1/4 H2O
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Cell synthesis reactions Cs
(a) Ammonia
(b) Nitrate

(a)1/4 CO2 + 1/20 NH3 + H+ + e- 1/20 C5H7O2N + 2/5 H2O

(b) 5/28 CO2 + 1/28 NO3- + 29/28 H+ + e- C5H7O2N + 11/28 H2O


BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Example
Benzene
Type of metabolism, why?
Nitrogen source
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Example
Benzene: C6H6
Type of metabolism: Aerobic (O2)
Nitrogen source (NH3)
Hd: Electron donor half reaction:
C6H6 + H2O CO2 + H+ + e-
Z = 4*6+6 = 30
1/30 C6H6 + 12/30 H2O 6/30 CO2 + H+ + e-

Ha: Electron acceptor half reaction:


1/4 O2 + H+ + e- 1/2 H2O
Ha * fe (assuming fe = 0.5)
1/8 O2 + 1/2 H+ + 1/2 e- 1/4 H2O

Cs: Cell synthesis half reaction


1/4 CO2 + 1/20 NH3 + H+ + e- 1/20 C5H7O2N +2/5 H20
Cs * fs
1/8 CO2 + 1/40 NH3 + 1/2 H+ + 1/2 e- 1/40 C5H7O2N +2/10 H20

OVERALL REACTION:
0.033 C6H6 + 0.125 O2 + 0.025 NH3 0.025 C5H7O2N + 0.075 CO2 +
OVERALL REACTION:
0.033 C6H6 + 0.125 O2 + 0.025 NH3 0.025 C5H7O2N + 0.075 CO2 +
0.05 H20

MW of Benzene = 78 g/mole

Oxygen requirement: 1.55 g per g of benzene


Nitrogen requirement: 0.165 g ammonia per g of benzene
0.14 g NH3-N
Phosphorous requirement: 0.02 g per g of benzene
P-requirement is roughly 1/6 of the nitrogen requirement.
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
If you know the chemical formula of
the substrate and the yield factor
you can make the calculations.
Simple for single substrate.
Multiple substrateyou need to
determine the average substrate
composition.
Fortran Code
A soil plot of 1 acre is contaminated with
BTEX at a concentration of 250 mg/kg of
each constituents (for each of the three
xylenes too!). You will need the b of soil.
Contamination extends to 3 feed deep.
Choose electron acceptor and nitrogen
source; and explain why!
Calculate the total Oxygen, nitrogen and
phosphorous demand.
BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY
Watfor (Fortran) Code
# of contaminants
Formula of each one
Mass of each one
Select terminal e- acceptor
Select nitrogen source

You might also like