The effect of the addition of novel alkali-activated material (AAM) granules to provide additional buffering capacity, pH stability and increased methane yields in batch scale anaerobic digestion was investigated.The experiments were carried out with 20%, 30% and 40% of acidic whey in 500 ml batch reactors by a single addition of AAM granules (diameter from 2 to 8 mm) at 37 ± 0.5x00B0;C during 30 days. Presence of the AAM in the batch reactors allowedto maintain optimal pH, thus increasingthe yield and rate of methane formation from acid whey.

Bioreactor landfilling, with the acceptance of landfill Directive 1999/31/EC has lost its actuality in European Union; at the same time, this method can still be used for acceleration of biowaste degradation and biogas production. One of the possibilities to reduce the disposal of biowaste is to use biocells for its anaerobic pre-treatment before landfilling. The daily filling up of such a cell requires isolation of the main volume to limit gas emissions, reduce smells, etc. Bioprocesses that are of the utmost importance for biocell treatment are often not taken into account in selection of materials to be used as daily landfill covers. Based on physical, chemical and biological methods the investigations have been carried out into different covering materials offered in the market, with identification of parameters that are the most important for daily covering the biocells. It is found that the materials fitted best this purpose should be of biological origin and consist of small bio-particles with large surface, without the inhibitors of anaerobic processes such as sulphuric compounds.

Biotechnological aspects in the field of recombinant protein production are analysed in this work, which includes the investigation of factors for the production of virus like particles (VLPs) formed by recombinant Hepatitis B virus core-antigen (HBcAg) in inducible bacterial (E. coli) expression system as well as purification of these particles by gelfiltration and ion-exchange chromatography. Biomass yield and VLP production level depended on the cultivation conditions such carbon source and temperature. As inductor for protein expression lactose was used.