2. Microorganisms and biochemical reactions

For a better understanding of biotechnologies applied to the reduction of pollution from gaseous effluents, notions of microbial metabolism are presented in this section. Given the type of emissions to be treated, only aerobic pathways will be discussed. Microorganisms, and more specifically bacteria, are capable of :

• propagate rapidly with given generation times ;

• possess great flexibility in the regulation, coordination, induction and repression of metabolic chains;

• rapidly colonize new habitats ;

• tolerate difficult environmental conditions;

• show wide phenotypic variability in response to environmental conditions through genetic regulation mechanisms;

• associate with other...