High-rate Fermentation of Acetate to Methane under Saline Condition by Aceticlastic Methanogens Immobilized in Marine Sediment

Abstract

, which is impossible without immobilization of the cells in the sediment. Using scanning electron microscopy, we observed Methanosaeta-like filamentous microorganisms and Methanosarcina-like coccoid microorganisms in granule-like structures. The results demonstrated that marine sediment is not only a promising microbial resource of halophilic aceticlastic methanogens, but also a supporting material to fix aceticlastic methanogens in a fixed-bed reactor.