Microbiomes of biohydrogen production from dark fermentation of industrial wastes: current trends, advanced tools and future outlook

Abstract

Biohydrogen production through dark fermentation is very attractive as a solution to help mitigate the effects of climate change, via cleaner bioenergy production. Dark fermentation is a process where organic substrates are converted into bioenergy, driven by a complex community of microorganisms of different functional guilds. Understanding of the microbiomes underpinning the fermentation of organic matter and conversion to hydrogen, and the interactions among various distinct trophic groups during the process, is critical in order to assist in the process optimisations. Research in biohydrogen production via dark fermentation is currently advancing rapidly, and various microbiology and molecular biology tools have been used to investigate the microbiomes. We reviewed here the different systems used and the production capacity, together with the diversity of the microbiomes used in the dark fermentation of industrial wastes, with a special emphasis on palm oil mill effluent (POME). The current challenges associated with biohydrogen production were also included. Then, we summarised and discussed the different molecular biology tools employed to investigate the intricacy of the microbial ecology associated with biohydrogen production. Finally, we included a section on the future outlook of how microbiome-based technologies and knowledge can be used effectively in biohydrogen production systems, in order to maximise the production output.

Co-digestion approach for enhancement of biogas production by mixture of untreated napier grass and industrial hydrolyzed food waste

“…The aforementioned conditions corroborate the findings of this study, which demonstrated that sucrose yielded the highest hydrogen production in comparison to the co-digestion of NG and FW. However, the involvement of lactic acid bacteria in the hydrogen production reactor is still debatable due to some findings mentioning their ability to inhibit the hydrogen production rate by competing the sugar consumption with other hydrogen-producing bacteria ( Dzulkarnain et al, 2022 ).…”

Elucidating the Role of Biofilm-Forming Microbial Communities in Fermentative Biohydrogen Process: An Overview

“…In biohydrogen production studies, mixed sludges are favored due to their non-stringent bioprocess requirements, as H 2 can be produced under non-sterile conditions at various conditions [ 66 ]. Furthermore, acidogenic fermentation involving the sludge is usually preferred for pilot-scale demonstrations as they are easier to operate and control than monocultures [ 67 ].…”

An Updated Review of Recent Applications and Perspectives of Hydrogen Production from Biomass by Fermentation: A Comprehensive Analysis

“…Another essential genus is Enterobacter, with species such as Enterobacter aerogenes also contributing to hydrogen production under anaerobic conditions [63,232,233]. Photofermentation depends on solar energy to generate hydrogen, with phototrophic bacteria such as Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas palustris leading this process [234][235][236]. These microorganisms work by capturing solar energy, allowing the transformation of organic substrates into hydrogen [232,235].…”

“…Photofermentation depends on solar energy to generate hydrogen, with phototrophic bacteria such as Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas palustris leading this process [234][235][236]. These microorganisms work by capturing solar energy, allowing the transformation of organic substrates into hydrogen [232,235]. Within the fermentation environment, microbial interactions are complex and directly influence hydrogen production efficiency [44,153,185,231].…”