Characterization and optimization of microbial preparation for the production of hydrogen gas from mixed food waste

The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier represents a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels. Hydrogen can be generated using chemical and biological processes. The production of biohydrogen via dark fermentation (DF) has emerged as a promising strategy that can simultaneously generate energy and help solve the issue of waste disposal. Despite its potential, the broader acceptance of the biohydrogen technology is hindered by its low efficiency. In our preliminary studies, we develop granular microbial preparations containing communities of microorganisms from a wastewater sludge digester. The use of these preparations improved the production of hydrogen during the fermentation of food waste. The 16S-based profiling of the preparations revealed a community comprised of diverse Bacillus and Clostridium species. We hypothesize that these organisms interact syntrophically in DF, improving the substrate decom-position and hydrogen yield.