Isolation and characterization of an aceticlastic methanogen from a biogas digester

Isolation and characterization of a fast-growing filament-forming methanogen (Methanothrix soehngenii strain VNBF) which uses acetate as the sole energy source for growth are reported. The stoichiometric conversion of acetate to CH4 [74-82-8] in the absence of added H suggests that all the CH4 is derived most probably from the Me group of acetate. The strain VNBF may be playing a key role in methanogenesis from org. wastes. Its high efficiency of CH4 prodn. may help to improve the performance of biogas digesters