Check out the new publication by former ERG researchers Bijen Bajracharya, Christina Smeaton, Igor Markelov, and Ekatarina Markelova, together with Philippe Van Cappellen. The paper presents a novel a bioenergetics-informed kinetic model for the anaerobic degradation of macromolecular organic matter that accounts for extracellular hydrolysis, fermentation, and respiration. The model dynamically calculates the catabolic energy generated by fermentation and respiration. The microbial cells are assumed to exist in active or dormant states with marked differences in maintenance energy requirements. When the catabolic Gibbs energy production for a given functional group of microorganisms exceeds the total maintenance energy requirement of the active cells, biomass growth, re-activation of dormant cells, and production of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes are possible. The paper is published open-access in Geomicrobiology Journal.
Thursday, January 20, 2022