Project description:Biological sulfate reduction (BSR) is an attractive approach for the bioremediation of sulfate-rich wastewater streams. Many sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM), which facilitate this process, have been well-studied in pure culture. However, the role of individual members of microbial communities within BSR bioreactors remains understudied. In this study we investigated the performance of two up-flow anaerobic packed bed reactors (UAPBRs) supplemented primarily with acetate and with lactate, respectively, during a hydraulic retention time (HRT) study set up to remediate sulfate-rich synthetic wastewater over the course of 1,000 + days. Plug-flow hydrodynamics led to a continuum of changing volumetric sulfate reduction rates (VSRRs), available electron donors, degrees of biomass retention and compositions of microbial communities throughout these reactors. Microbial communities throughout the successive zones of the reactors were resolved using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing which allowed the association of features of performance with discrete microorganisms. The acetate UAPBR achieved a maximum VSRR of 23.2 mg.L-1. h-1 at a one-day HRT and a maximum sulfate conversion of the 1 g/L sulfate of 96% at a four-day HRT. The sulfate reduction reactions in this reactor could be described with a reaction order of 2.9, an important observation for optimisation and future scale-up. The lactate UAPBR achieved a 96% sulfate conversion at one-day HRT, corresponding with a VSRR of 40.1 mg.L-1. h-1. Lactate was supplied in this reactor at relatively low concentrations necessitating the subsequent use of propionate and acetate, by-products of lactate fermentation with acetate also a by-product of incomplete lactate oxidation, to achieve competitive performance. The consumption of these electron donors could be associated with specific SRM localised within biofilms of discrete zones. The sulfate reduction rates in the lactate UAPBR could be modelled as first-order reactions, indicating effective rates were conferred by these propionate- and acetate-oxidising SRM. Our results demonstrate how acetate, a low-cost substrate, can be used effectively despite low associated SRM growth rates, and that lactate, a more expensive substrate, can be used sparingly to achieve high VSRR and sulfate conversions. We further identified the preferred environment of additional microorganisms to inform how these microorganisms could be enriched or diminished in BSR reactors.
Project description:The sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough possesses four periplasmic hydrogenases to facilitate the oxidation of molecular hydrogen. These include an [Fe], a [NiFeSe] and two [NiFe] hydrogenases encoded by the hyd, hys, hyn1 and hyn2 genes, respectively. In order to understand their cellular functions the expression levels of these hydrogenases, along with the growth rate analysis of mutant strains, was determined during growth on defined media under 3 different conditions. These conditions incuded lactate or hydrogen at either 5% or 50% (vol/vol) used as the sole electron donor for sulfate reduction. Keywords: Electron donor change For each condition 2 unique biological samples were hybridized to 4 arrays that each contained duplicate spots. Genomic DNA was used as universal reference. After total intensity normalization the SAM (significance analysis of microarrays) was used to find differentially expressed genes.
Project description:<p><strong>INTRODUCTION:</strong> The extraction solvent mixtures were optimized for untargeted metabolomics analysis of microbial communities from two laboratory scale activated sludge reactors performing enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR).</p><p><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To develop a robust and simple analytical protocol to analyse microbial metabolomics from EBPR bioreactors.</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> Extra- and intra-cellular metabolites were extracted using five methods and analysed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS).</p><p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> The optimal extraction method was biomass specific and methanol:water (1:1 v/v) and methanol:chloroform:water (2:2:1 v/v) were chosen, respectively, for each of the two different bioreactors.</p><p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Our approach provides direct surveys of the metabolic state of PAO-enriched EBPR communities, showing that extraction methods should be carefully tailored to the microbial community under study</p>
Project description:The effect of nitrate reduction (anaerobic cultivation in the presence of heme, vitamin K2 and nitrate) was compared with anaerobic cultivation supplemented with citrate (Lactobacillus plantarum). The medium was chemically defined medium with mannitol as main carbon source Two-condition experiment, nitrate vs citrate reducing cells. Biological replicates: 4 nitrate reducing cultures, 4 citrate reducing cultures, independently grown and harvested. Two slides were used, each slide contained 8 Arrays. Citrate reducing cultures are called reactor 1-4, Nitrate reducing cultures are called reactor A-D