Research Project 'FerMiQ'

Development of New Procedures for the Quantitative Analysis of the Digester Microbiology in Biogas Plants and a Process Control Based thereof

Acronym | Duration | Granted by

FerMiQ | 01.12.2018 until 31.05.2020 | Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)

Motivation and Background

A previous project ("FNR: Biogas") demonstrated that the technique of Universal Molecular IDentification (UMID) used by AMODIA is able to determine the actually preferred path of methanogenesis in digesters of commercial biogas plants. But this technique requires several days for a result. This is too long to be used for controlling a digester.

Customers of this service asked for accelerating this analysis, and for a more precise quantification of the fractions of the different microorganisms.

Starting with these customer requirements this project should identify new biomarkers, indicative for the state of the microbiology in the digester. And for these biomarkers new molecular- biological detection systems should be developed, which might be used for process control and monitoring.

Goals

A central aim of the project is the development of a fast qPCR-based analysis to monitor the process stability of biogas plants. The procedure should enable an operator to recognise process-biological incidents early by analysing the composition of the microbial community. This would significantly enhance the state-of-the-art techniques to control a digester, and enable an operator to proactively take measures.

The procedure should be useable for a regular process control as well as for an in-depth review and analysis of the digestion process in critical states (i.e. substrate changes, restarts after revisions or incidents, use of additives).

Research Programme

Central Innovation Program Small Business (ZIM)

AMODIA within the 8th Energy Research Programme

The Project is a Cooperation of these Partners:

AMODIA Bioservice GmbH
Rebenring 31
38106 Braunschweig
Germany

www.amodia.de

Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut Pirmasens e.V.
Department Biotechnology
Marie-Curie-Straße 19
66953 Pirmasens
Germany

www.pfi-biotechnology.de

The partners perform the respective sub-projects:

Sub-project 1 (AMODIA)
Validation of and Search for new Biomarkers
Sub-project 2 (PFI)
Simulating Critical Operating States of Biogas Digesters and Correlation with qPCR Measurements

Significant Project Results

  • A new biomarker indicative for process incidents was identified: the DNA concentration of a certain group of syntrophic bacteria (“ASG-Syntrophics”)
  • This new biomarker reacts as early as the FOS or FOS/TAC markers, but it is more indicative: a decrease of an order of magnitude in the concentration points to a significant problem with the microbiology.
  • This new biomarker is available for commercial use in several analysis packages.
  • Based on this new biomarker a system to rate the microbiology was established, which like a traffic light could distinguish the states “okay” (green), “attention” (yellow) and “critical” (red).
  • One experiment hints that this new biomarker may be used to get 50% more biogas (thus 50% more methane) from am existing biogas plant.