Optimization of a desulfurizating biocatalyst by combining cells of different cell age of Pseudomonas putida CECT 5279

Abstract

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Biodesulfurization is proposed asan altemative technology able to reduce sulfur content in fossil fuels, in order to aminish sulfur oxide emissions to the atmosphere. In this work, a genetically modified microorganism, Pseudomonas putida CECT5279, is employed as a desulfurizing biocatalyst. The combination of two cell age biomass can be used in order to optimize an effective biodesulfuring catalyst. Hereby, 5 hours and 23 hours were the selected growth times when cells were collected, combined in different biomass concentrations and tested by carrying out resting cells assays. In these experiments dibenzothiophene (DBT) was used as sulfur model compound. Biodesulfurization percentage, X8ns, initial DBT elimination rate, Rn8/, employed biomass, Cx, and time for desulfurization, t8ns, were the chosen parameters in order to search for the best biocatalyst. After this study, the mixture of 0,7 and 1,4 gDCW/L biomass concentration were selected for 5 hours and 23 hours growth time cells respectively, because of the best effectiveness achieved with formulation for a biodesulfurizing catalyst.