The Microbial Retting Environment of Hibiscus Cannabinus and Its Implications in Broader Applications Metadata

Title

• Main Title The Microbial Retting Environment of Hibiscus Cannabinus and Its Implications in Broader Applications

Creator

• Author: Visi, David K.
  Creator Type: Personal

Contributor

• Chair: Benjamin, Robert C.
  Contributor Type: Personal
  Contributor Info: Major Professor
• Committee Member: Allen, Michael S.
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Committee Member: Roberts, Aaron
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Committee Member: Hughes, Lee E.
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Committee Member: Brumbley, Stevens
  Contributor Type: Personal

Publisher

• Name: University of North Texas
  Place of Publication: Denton, Texas
  Additional Info: www.unt.edu

Date

• Creation: 2015-05

Language

• English

Description

• Content Description: Fiber-yielding plants is an area of increased interest due to the potential use in a variety of green-based materials. These biocomposites can be incorporated into multiple uses; for example, to replace building materials and interior vehicular paneling. The research here aims to focus in on the crop Hibiscus cannabinus for utilization into these functions. H. cannabinus is economically attractive due to the entire process being able to be accomplished here in the United States. The plant can be grown in a relatively short growth period (120-180 days), and then processed and incorporated in a biocomposite. The plant fiber must first be broken down into a useable medium. This is accomplished by the retting process, which occurs when microbial constituents breakdown the heteropolysaccharides releasing the fiber. The research aims to bridge the gap between the primitive process of retting and current techniques in molecular and microbiology. Utilizing a classical microbiological approach, which entailed enrichment and isolation of pectinase-producing bacteria for downstream use in augmented microbial retting experiments. The tracking of the bacteria was accomplished by using the 16S rRNA which acts as “barcodes” for bacteria. Next-generation sequencing can then provide data from each environment telling the composition and microbial diversity of each tested variable. The main environments tested are: a natural environment, organisms contributed by the plant material solely, and an augmented version in which pectinase-producing bacteria are added. In addition, a time-course experiment was performed on the augmented environment providing data of the shift to an anaerobic environment. Lastly, a drop-in set was performed using each isolate separately to determine which contributes to the shift in microbial organization. This research provided a much needed modernization of the retting technique. Previous studies have been subject to simple clone libraries and growth plate assays and next-generation sequencing will bring the understanding of microbial retting into the 21st century.
• Physical Description: xiii, 142 pages : illustrations (chiefly color)

Subject

• Keyword: microbiology
• Keyword: kenaf
• Keyword: applied
• Library of Congress Subject Headings: Kenaf.
• Library of Congress Subject Headings: Retting.
• Library of Congress Subject Headings: Composite materials.
• Library of Congress Subject Headings: Fibrous composites.

Collection

• Name: UNT Theses and Dissertations
  Code: UNTETD

Institution

• Name: UNT Libraries
  Code: UNT

Rights

• Rights Access: public
• Rights Holder: Visi, David K.
• Rights License: copyright
• Rights Statement: Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved.

Resource Type

• Thesis or Dissertation

Format

• Text

Identifier

• Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metadc801953

Degree

• Academic Department: Department of Biological Sciences
• Degree Discipline: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Degree Level: Doctoral
• Degree Name: Doctor of Philosophy
• Degree Grantor: University of North Texas
• Degree Publication Type: disse

Note