Various aspects of this disclosure relate to toilet systems that include compositions to inhibit wastewater from freezing in a waste tank of a toilet. A first fluid treatment composition comprises a salt that is introduced into the waste tank. A second fluid treatment composition is a solid composite that also comprises a salt and that is introduced into a urinal in fluid communication with the waste tank.

The present invention provides a process for the treatment of sewage sludge with enzymes, which process comprises treating a sewage sludge resulting from the treatment of municipal or industrial waste water with a composition comprising a fermentation supernatant product from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture and a non-ionic surfactant, wherein said fermentation supernatant product is free of active enzymes, at conditions suitable for generating said active enzymes from said sewage sludge in situ.

Microbial reactors are provided for ammonium oxidation. Briefly, a reactor comprises a medium including an ammonium component and a Feammox bacterium and/or enzyme(s) thereof capable of oxidizing ammonium with electron transfer to an anode in contact with the medium. As described further herein, use of the anode as an electron acceptor can mitigate or overcome the disadvantages associated Fe(III) acceptor. In some embodiments, for example, ammonium oxidation in the reactor can proceed in the absence of Fe(III) and/or other metal compounds operable to function as an electron acceptor in the medium. Moreover, the medium may further comprise one more contaminants in addition to the ammonium component.

Described herein is a PAH-degrading enzyme mixture obtained from a culture of PAH-utilizing microorganisms having been grown in presence of one or more enzyme inducers. Related methods and devices are also described.

The invention relates to compositions comprising microbial strains and methods for use of the compositions in removing pollutants in waste, water, or soil, such as remediating dye and lignin, reducing contaminants, degrading paper (such as flushable or disposable or non-flushable wipes), reducing odor, reducing chemical oxygen demand (COD), and combinations thereof, in the water, the soil, or the waste or for use in administration to animals in the feed or drinking water of the animals. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions of isolated Bacillus strains selected from the group consisting of isolated Bacillus strains Bacillus licheniformis MDG-1000 (NRRL No. B-67888), Bacillus licheniformis MDG-1001 (NRRL No. B-67889), Bacillus subtilis/amyloliquefaciens MDG-8001 (NRRL No. B-67890), Bacillus pumilus MDG-1047 (NRRL No. B-67891), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MDG1607 (NRRL No. B-67666), Bacillus subtilis MDGV18 (NRRL No. B-67665), Bacillus pumilus MDGV17 (NRRL No. B-67664), Bacillus subtilis MDG-1728 (NRRL No. B-67618), Bacillus megaterium MDG-2705 (NRRL No. B-67619), and strains having all of the identifying characteristics of these strains, and combinations thereof, and methods for use of these strains for removing pollutants in waste, water, or soil, such as remediating dye and lignin, reducing contaminants, degrading paper (such as flushable or disposable or non-flushable wipes), reducing odor, reducing chemical oxygen demand (COD), and combinations thereof, in the water, the soil, or the waste or for use in administration to animals in the feed or drinking water of the animals.

Herein a Bacillus exosporium antigen delivery (BEAD) system that provides a means to introduce recombinant proteins or small molecules into the exosporium of members of the B. cereus family of bacteria, i.e. B. anthracis, B. cereus, and B. thuringiensis, is disclosed. The system results in the surface display of recombinant proteins or small molecules such that they can stimulate an immune response. In addition, methods of making and using the system are described.

A hierarchical catalyst composition comprising a continuous or particulate macroporous scaffold in which is incorporated mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein an enzyme is embedded in mesopores of the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles. Methods for synthesizing the hierarchical catalyst composition are also described. Also described are processes that use the recoverable hierarchical catalyst composition for depolymerizing lignin, remediation of water contaminated with aromatic substances, polymerizing monomers by a free-radical mechanism, epoxidation of alkenes, halogenation of phenols, inhibiting growth and function of microorganisms in a solution, and carbon dioxide conversion to methanol. Further described are methods for increasing the space time yield and/or total turnover number of a liquid-phase chemical reaction that includes magnetic particles to facilitate the chemical reaction, the method comprising subjecting the chemical reaction to a plurality of magnetic fields of selected magnetic strength, relative position in the chemical reaction, and relative motion.

The present disclosure provides easy and cost-effective methods for 3D printing of microorganisms to form biofilms, such as genetically engineered Escherichia coli biofilms. In some embodiments, the 3D printing platform exploits simple alginate chemistry for printing of a bacteria-alginate bioink mixture onto calcium-containing agar surfaces, resulting in the formation of bacteria-encapsulating hydrogels with varying geometries. Bacteria in these hydrogels remain intact, spatially patterned, and viable for several days. Printing of engineered bacteria to produce inducible biofilms leads to formation of multilayered three-dimensional structures that can tolerate harsh chemical treatments, enabling the construction of living biofilm-derived materials in a large-scale and environmentally-stable manner.

A wastewater treatment apparatus includes a treatment mechanism that treats a wastewater containing an organic chromaticity component with an enzyme produced by Bacillus proteolyticus.

The present invention generally relates to a system and methods for the separation and removal of carbon dioxide from seawater. The system includes an extraction system that collects carbon dioxide from the seawater through a medium, and removes carbon dioxide from the medium; the extraction system comprising a reactor and a membrane. Alternatively, the extraction system includes a reactor, a membrane and a catalyst.