Mining of hemicellulose and lignin degrading genes from differentially enriched methane producing microbial community.

Study creates a scenario for enrichment and selection of ligno-hemicellulose degrading genotypes with anaerobic bioreactor as a model using rice straw, vegetable waste and food waste as substrates. Relative discrimination analysis showed that the hydrolytic pathways and associated microbial communities for ligno-hemicellulose degradation were dominatingly colonized with rice straw as substrate. The dominating bacteria were Caldicellulosiruptor, Fervidobacterium, Cytophaga, Ruminococcus, Thermotoga associated with hemicellulose degradation and Burkholderia, Pandorea, Sphingomonas, Spirochaeta, Pseudomonas for lignocellulose hydrolysis. This was further supported by the abundance of anaerobic aromatic compound degrading genes along with genes for xylanase and xylosidase in rice straw enriched community. The metagenome analysis data was validated by evaluation of the biochemical methane potential for these substrates. Food waste being most amenable substrate yielded 1410mL of biogas/gVS added whereas, biogas yield of 1160mL/gVS and 1080mL/gVS was observed in presence of vegetable waste and rice straw respectively.