The Alternating Growth of Bacteria within a Consortium During Desulfurization of Coal

Efforts to reduce organic sulfur in coal are taken through biodesulfurization by using desulfurization bacteria to release covalently-bound sulfur from the coal matrix. Coal is a complex hydrocarbon material that requires collaboration from more than one type of bacteria in a consortium for desulfurization. The current study shows how the individual members of a bacterial consortium obtained directly from coal samples grew on the coal. Mineral medium containing sub-bituminous coal with a concentration of 10%, 15%, and 20% served as a carbon source and the only sulfur to support the consortium's growth. The examination included growth patterns, concentrations of dibenzothiophene as an organic sulfur representative, pH, and sulfate concentration as the sulfur product released into the medium. The growth of individual members of the consortium was observed for 336 h. The consortium grew in all three coal concentrations with slightly different cell growth patterns and the release of dibenzothiophene. Members of the consortium grew alternately and overlapped, which showed possible linkages or dependence on products and existence from the growth of other members. The existence of the primary strain Moraxella osloensis COK1 indicated that they played a role in the activities and growth of other members. The alternating growth is discussed to produce a hypothetical illustration of how several other members play in using sulfur in a well-known desulfurization pathway. In conclusion, this study provides a deeper insight into the value of consortium members individually but growing together while swarming coal as a complex resource to become low-sulfur coal.