bioengineering Article Thauera aminoaromatica MZ1T Identified as a Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Producing Bacterium within a Mixed Microbial Consortium 1, 1, 1 2 3 Dana I. Colpa y, Wen Zhou y, Jan Pier Wempe , Jelmer Tamis , Marc C. A. Stuart , Janneke Krooneman 1 and Gert-Jan W. Euverink 1,* 1 Products and Processes for Biotechnology Group, Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands;
[email protected] (D.I.C.);
[email protected] (W.Z.);
[email protected] (J.P.W.);
[email protected] (J.K.) 2 Paques Technology B.V., Tjalke de Boerstrjitte 24, 8561 EL Balk, The Netherlands;
[email protected] 3 Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +31-50-363-9203 These authors contributed equally to this work. y Received: 22 January 2020; Accepted: 19 February 2020; Published: 21 February 2020 Abstract: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) form a highly promising class of bioplastics for the transition from fossil fuel-based plastics to bio-renewable and biodegradable plastics. Mixed microbial consortia (MMC) are known to be able to produce PHAs from organic waste streams. Knowledge of key-microbes and their characteristics in PHA-producing consortia is necessary for further process optimization and direction towards synthesis of specific types of PHAs. In this study, a PHA-producing mixed microbial consortium (MMC) from an industrial pilot plant was characterized and further enriched on acetate in a laboratory-scale selector with a working volume of 5 L.