To understand the prenucleation stage of methane hydrate formation, we measured methane solubility under metastable conditions using molecular dynamics simulations. Three factors that influence solubility are considered: temperature, pressure, and the strength of the modeled van der Waals attraction between methane and water. Moreover, the naturally formed water cages and methane clusters in th...

All aerobic methanotrophic bacteria described to date are unable to grow on substrates containing carbon-carbon bonds. Here we demonstrate that members of the recently discovered genus Methylocella are an exception to this. These bacteria are able to use as their sole energy source the one-carbon compounds methane and methanol, as well as the multicarbon compounds acetate, pyruvate, succinate, ...

Municipal wastewater treatment plants emit methane. Since methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, the abatement of the emission is necessary to achieve a more sustainable urban water management. This requires thorough knowledge of the amount of methane that is emitted from a plant, but also of the possible sources and sinks of methane on the plant. In this study, ...

Lakes represent a considerable natural source of methane to the atmosphere compared to their small global surface area. Methanotrophs in sediments and in the water column largely control methane fluxes from these systems, yet the diversity, electron accepting capacity, and nutrient requirements of these microorganisms have only been partially identified. Here, we investigated the role of electr...

The microbial oxidation of methane in the atmosphere is performed by methanotrophic bacteria that use methane as a unique source of carbon and energy. The objective of this work consisted of the investigation of the best conditions of methane biodegradation by methanotrophic bacteria Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b that oxidize it to carbon dioxide, and the use of these microorganisms in monito...

This study evaluated the possibility of pretreating selected solid fraction of an anaerobic digester treating food waste to lower the hydraulic retention time and increase the methane production. The study investigated the effect of different pretreatments (thermal, chemical, thermochemical and enzymatic) for enhanced methane production from cottage cheese. The most effective pretreatments were...

A Raman spectrometer extensively modified for deep ocean use was used to measure synthetic hydrates formed in an ocean environment. This was the first time hydrates formed in the ocean have been measured in situ using Raman spectroscopy. Gas hydrates were formed in situ in the Monterey Bay by pressurizing a Pyrex cell with various gas mixtures. Raman spectra were obtained for sI methane hydrate...

Methane gas is a by-product of landfilling municipal solid wastes (MSW). Most of the global MSW is dumped in non-regulated landfills and the generated methane is emitted to the atmosphere. Some of the modern regulated landfills attempt to capture and utilize landfill biogas, a renewable energy source, to generate electricity or heat. As of 2001, there were about one thousand landfills collectin...

The relationship between biogeochemical process rates and microbial functional activity was investigated by analysis of the transcriptional dynamics of the key functional genes for methanogenesis (methyl coenzyme M reductase; mcrA) and methane oxidation (particulate methane monooxygenase; pmoA) and in situ methane flux at two peat soil field sites with contrasting net methane-emitting and -oxid...

Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), with nearly 60% of emissions derived from anthropogenic sources. Microbial conversion of methane to fuels and value-added chemicals offers a means to reduce GHG emissions, while also valorizing this otherwise squandered high-volume, high-energy gas. However, to date, advances in methane biocatalysis have been constrained by the low-produ...