Project description:Understanding microbial community diversity is thought to be crucial for improving process functioning and stabilities of wastewater treatment systems. However, current studies largely focus on taxonomic groups based on 16S rRNA, which are not necessarily linked to functioning, or a few selected functional genes. Here we launched a study to profile the overall functional genes of microbial communities in three full-scale wastewater treatment systems. Triplicate activated sludge samples from each system were analyzed using a high-throughput metagenomics tool named GeoChip 4.2, resulting in the detection of 38,507 to 40,647 functional genes. A high similarity of 75.5% to 79.7% shared genes was noted among the nine samples. Moreover, correlation analyses showed that the abundances of a wide array of functional genes were associated with system performances. For example, the abundances of overall nitrogen cycling genes had a strong correlation to total nitrogen (TN) removal rates (r = 0.7647, P < 0.01). The abundances of overall carbon cycling genes were moderately correlated with COD removal rates (r = 0.6515, P < 0.01). Lastly, we found that influent chemical oxygen demand (COD inf) and total phosphorus concentrations (TP inf), and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were key environmental factors shaping the overall functional genes. Together, the results revealed vast functional gene diversity and some links between the functional gene compositions and microbe-mediated processes.
Project description:Anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria mediate a key step in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle and have been applied worldwide for the energy-efficient removal of nitrogen from wastewater. However, outside their core energy metabolism, little is known about the metabolic networks driving anammox bacterial anabolism and mixotrophy beyond genome predictions. Here, we experimentally resolved the central carbon metabolism using metabolomics (LC-MS and GC-MS), metabolic flux analysis and proteomics (shot-gun proteomics).
Project description:A heterotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Alcaligenes sp. HO-1 was isolated from the activated sludge of a bioreactor treating ammonia-rich piggery wastewater. The goal and objectives of this experiment are to analyze the transcriptome profiles of nitrogen-metabolism-related genes of Alcaligenes sp. HO-1 in response to ammonium stimulation over time and to find out potential genes involved in ammonia oxidation process. So the RNA-seq anaylsis was performed by setting up each time points (0, 3.5, 10, 22 hours) when strain HO-1 were exposed to ammonia. HO-1 was cultured with 83 mM succinate and 14 mM ammonium sulfate until ammonia was completely consumed and then another 14 mM of ammonium sulfate was added to the culture. Cells were harvested at 0 h, 3.5 h, 10 h and 22 h after the addition of ammonium sulfate. The sequencing data of RNAs obtained from strain HO-1 cells at each time was analyzed.
Project description:Bio-augmentation could be a promising strategy to improve processes for treatment and resource recovery from wastewater. In this study, the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis was co-cultured with the microbial communities present in wastewater samples with high concentrations of nitrate or ammonium. Glucose supplementation (1%) was used to boost biomass growth in all wastewater samples. In anaerobic conditions, the indigenous microbial community bio-augmented with B. subtilis was able to rapidly remove nitrate from wastewater. In these conditions, B. subtilis overexpressed nitrogen assimilatory and respiratory genes including NasD, NasE, NarG, NarH, and NarI, which arguably accounted for the observed boost in denitrification. Next, we attempted to use the the ammonium- and nitrate-enriched wastewater samples bio-augmented with B. subtilis in the cathodic compartment of bioelectrochemical systems (BES) operated in anaerobic condition. B. subtilis only had low relative abundance in the microbial community, but bio-augmentation promoted the growth of Clostridium butyricum and C. beijerinckii, which became the dominant species. Both bio-augmentation with B. subtilis and electrical current from the cathode in the BES promoted butyrate production during fermentation of glucose. A concentration of 3.4 g/L butyrate was reached with a combination of cathodic current and bio-augmentation in ammonium-enriched wastewater. With nitrate-enriched wastewater, the BES effectively removed nitrate reaching 3.2 mg/L after 48 h. In addition, 3.9 g/L butyrate was produced. We propose that bio-augmentation of wastewater with B. subtilis in combination with bioelectrochemical processes could both boost denitrification in nitrate-containing wastewater and enable commercial production of butyrate from carbohydrate- containing wastewater, e.g. dairy industry discharges. These results suggest that B. subtilis bio-augmentation in our BES promotes simultaneous wastewater treatment and butyrate production.
Project description:Biological treatments to degrade cyanide are a powerful technology for cyanide removal from industrial wastewaters. It has been previously demonstrated that the alkaliphilic bacterium Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes CECT5344 is able to use free cyanide and several metal-cyanide complexes as the sole nitrogen source. In this work, the strain CECT5344 has been used for detoxification of the different chemical forms of cyanide that are present in alkaline wastewaters from the jewelry industry. This liquid residue also contains large concentrations of metals like iron, copper and zinc, making this wastewater even more toxic. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the bioremediation process, a quantitative sRNA sequencing analysis has been carried out in P. pseudoalcaligenes CECT5344 cells grown with the jewelry residue, free cyanide and ammonium as sole nitrogen sources.
Project description:In order to identify possible RNAs regulated by small RNA NsiR3 we have analyzed the responses to nitrogen removal in a mutant lacking nsiR3 (ΔnsiR3). RNA samples were isolated from cells growing in the presence of combined nitrogen (ammonium) or after 8 h of nitrogen deprivation.
Project description:Transcriptional analysis of the cyanotroph Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes CECT5344 in response to cyanide present in wastewaters from industrial activities, such as jewelry and electroplating activities Four-conditions experiment, including three different nitrogen sources (ammonium, sodium cyanide or a cyanide-containing wastewater). One experiment without nitrogen added to the media (nitrogen limited condition). Four biological replicates for each condition (added nitrogen source to the media) plus the experiment without nitrogen source added.
Project description:The work provides an organism-level framework describing the mechanisms underlying SCN- degradation, and opens possibilities for improving efficiency and nitrogen removal in SCN-degrading bioreactors for bioremediation of Industrial wastewater.