Isolation and characterization of clostridium thermocellum

• Main Author: Vatcharapijarn, Yupha
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1984
• Subjects: Biology
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/1473; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3092&context=dissertations

The study and isolation of strains of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria, Clostridium thermocellum. has been widely committed. The isolation of six strains of Clostridium thermocellum from samples representing a variety of environments were conducted. They were characterized as to growth rate, production of reducing sugars, ethanol and acetaic acid production from cellulose, base composition of DNA and the presence of plasmid DNA. Results show that considerable differences exist among strains with regard to growth rate and ability to solubilize cellulose. However, they were all remarkably similar in ethanol production which was similar to a standard laboratory strain of these species. The (G+C)% contents of DNA of these strains are between 37.1 and 40.08. Plasmid DNA was not located in any of these six strains. Although it appears that these six strains do not have more prominent characteristics than the others, they could be choices among those strains isolated by other researchers to be selected and adapted for more efficient bioconversion to energy.