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Carvalho VCF, Gan AZM, Shon A, Kolakovic S, Freitas EB, Reis MAM, Fradinho JC, Oehmen A. The phototrophic metabolic behaviour of Candidatus accumulibacter. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 259:121865. [PMID: 38851111 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The phototrophic capability of Candidatus Accumulibacter (Accumulibacter), a common polyphosphate accumulating organism (PAO) in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems, was investigated in this study. Accumulibacter is phylogenetically related to the purple bacteria Rhodocyclus from the family Rhodocyclaceae, which belongs to the class Betaproteobacteria. Rhodocyclus typically exhibits both chemoheterotrophic and phototrophic growth, however, limited studies have evaluated the phototrophic potential of Accumulibacter. To address this gap, short and extended light cycle tests were conducted using a highly enriched Accumulibacter culture (95%) to evaluate its responses to illumination. Results showed that, after an initial period of adaptation to light conditions (approximately 4-5 h), Accumulibacter exhibited complete phosphorus (P) uptake by utilising polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and additionally by consuming glycogen, which contrasted with its typical aerobic metabolism. Mass, energy, and redox balance analyses demonstrated that Accumulibacter needed to employ phototrophic metabolism to meet its energy requirements. Calculations revealed that the light reactions contributed to the generation of, at least more than 67% of the ATP necessary for P uptake and growth. Extended light tests, spanning 21 days with dark/light cycles, suggested that Accumulibacter generated ATP through light during initial operation, however, it likely reverted to conventional anaerobic/aerobic metabolism under dark/light conditions due to microalgal growth in the mixed culture, contributing to oxygen production. In contrast, extended light tests with an enriched Tetrasphaera culture, lacking phototrophic genes in its genome, clearly demonstrated that phototrophic P uptake did not occur. These findings highlight the adaptive metabolic capabilities of Accumulibacter, enabling it to utilise phototrophic pathways for energy generation during oxygen deprivation, which holds the potential to advance phototrophic-EBPR technology development.
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Affiliation(s)
- V C F Carvalho
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - A Z M Gan
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - A Shon
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - S Kolakovic
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - E B Freitas
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - M A M Reis
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - J C Fradinho
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - A Oehmen
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Fan J, Yuan W, Zhang X, Ji B, Du X. Oxygen affinity and light intensity induced robust phosphorus removal and fragile ammonia removal in a non-aerated bacteria-algae system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169013. [PMID: 38040345 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Non-aerated bacteria-algae system gaining O2 through photosynthesis presents an alternative for costly mechanical aeration. This study investigated oxygen supply and performance of nutrients removal at low and high light intensity (LL and HL). The results showed that P removal was high and robust (LL 97 ± 1.8 %, HL 95 % ± 2.9 %), while NH4+-N removal fluctuated dramatically (LL 66 ± 14.7 %, HL 84 ± 8.6 %). Oxygen generated at illumination of 200 μmol m-2 s-1, 6 h was sufficient to sustain aerobic phase for 2.25 g/L MLSS. However, O2 produced by algae was preferentially captured in the order of heterotrophic bacteria (HB), ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Oxygen affinity coupled with light intensity led to NOB suppression with stable nitrite accumulation ratio of 57 %. Free nitrous acid (FNA) and light stimulated the abundance of denitrifying polyphosphate accumulating organism (DPAO) of Flavobacterium, but with declined P-accumulating metabolism (PAM) of P release, P/C, K/P and Mg/P ratios. Flavobacterium and cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya, along with biologically induced CaP in extracellular polymeric substances was the key to robust P removal. AOB of Ellin6067 and DPAO of Flavobacteria offer a promising scenario for partial nitrification-denitrifying phosphorus removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fan
- College of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China.
| | - Wu Yuan
- College of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Xujie Zhang
- College of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Bin Ji
- College of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Xingyu Du
- College of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
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Biopolymers from Agriculture Waste and By-Products. Biopolymers 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-98392-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Carvalho VCF, Kessler M, Fradinho JC, Oehmen A, Reis MAM. Achieving nitrogen and phosphorus removal at low C/N ratios without aeration through a novel phototrophic process. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 793:148501. [PMID: 34171805 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Conventional wastewater treatment technologies for biological nutrient removal (BNR) are highly dependent on aeration for oxygen supply, which represents a major operational cost of the process. Recently, phototrophic enhanced biological phosphorus removal (photo-EBPR) has been suggested as an alternative system for phosphorus removal, based on a consortium of photosynthetic microorganisms and chemotrophic bacteria, eliminating the need for costly aeration. However, wastewater treatment plants must couple nitrogen and phosphorus removal to achieve discharge limits. For this reason, a new microalgae-bacterial based system for phosphorus and nitrogen removal is proposed in this work. The photo-BNR system studied here consists of a sequencing batch reactor operated with dark anaerobic, light aerobic, dark anoxic and idle periods, to allow both N and P removal. Results of the study show that the photo-BNR system was able to remove 100% of the 40 mg N/L of ammonia fed to the reactor and 94 ± 3% of the total nitrogen (Influent COD:N ratio of 300:40, similar to domestic wastewater). Moreover, an average of 25 ± 9.2 mg P/L was simultaneously removed in the photo-BNR tests, representing the P removal capacity of this system, which exceeds the level of P removal required from typical domestic wastewater. Full ammonia removal was achieved during the light phase, with 67 ± 5% of this ammonia being assimilated by the microbial culture and the remaining 33 ± 5% being converted into nitrate. The assimilated P corresponded to 2.8 ± 0.23 mg P/L, which only represented, approximately, 1/9 of the P removal capacity of the system. Half of the nitrified ammonia was subsequently denitrified during the dark anoxic phase (50 ± 24%). Overall, the photo-BNR system represents the first treatment alternative for N and P from domestic wastewater with no need of mechanical aeration or supplemental carbon addition, representing an alternative low-energy technology of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- V C F Carvalho
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - M Kessler
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - J C Fradinho
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
| | - A Oehmen
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - M A M Reis
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
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Fradinho J, Allegue LD, Ventura M, Melero JA, Reis MAM, Puyol D. Up-scale challenges on biopolymer production from waste streams by Purple Phototrophic Bacteria mixed cultures: A critical review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 327:124820. [PMID: 33578354 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.124820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The increasing volume of waste streams require new biological technologies that can address pollution concerns while offering sustainable products. Purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) are very versatile organisms that present a unique metabolism that allows them to adapt to a variety of environments, including the most complex waste streams. Their successful adaptation to such demanding conditions is partly the result of internal polymers accumulation which can be stored for electron/energy balance or as carbon and nutrients reserves for deprivation periods. Polyhydroxyalkanoates, glycogen, sulphur and polyphosphate are examples of polymers produced by PPB that can be economically explored due to their applications in the plastic, energy and fertilizers sectors. Their large-scale production implies the outdoor operation of PPB systems which brings new challenges, identified in this review. An overview of the current PPB polymer producing technologies and prospects for their future development is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Fradinho
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - L D Allegue
- Group of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (GIQA), Higher School of Experimental Sciences and Technology (ESCET), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Ventura
- Group of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (GIQA), Higher School of Experimental Sciences and Technology (ESCET), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - J A Melero
- Group of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (GIQA), Higher School of Experimental Sciences and Technology (ESCET), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - M A M Reis
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - D Puyol
- Group of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (GIQA), Higher School of Experimental Sciences and Technology (ESCET), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
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Qiu G, Liu X, Saw NMMT, Law Y, Zuniga-Montanez R, Thi SS, Ngoc Nguyen TQ, Nielsen PH, Williams RBH, Wuertz S. Metabolic Traits of Candidatus Accumulibacter clade IIF Strain SCELSE-1 Using Amino Acids As Carbon Sources for Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:2448-2458. [PMID: 31790213 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent evidence from full-scale plants suggesting that Candidatus Accumulibacter may be capable of using amino acids, this metabolic trait has never been confirmed in a bioreactor experiment. Here we show that an enriched culture of Ca. Accumulibacter clade IIF strain SCELSE-1 could metabolize 11 of 20 α-amino acids, with aspartate, glutamate, asparagine, and glutamine resulting in the highest phosphorus removal. The anaerobic uptake of aspartate and glutamate was achieved through a glutamate/aspartate-proton symporter fully powered by the proton motive force (PMF). Under anaerobic conditions aspartate was deaminized and routed into core carbon metabolic pathways to form polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). The lack of genes encoding NADH dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase in the Ca. Accumulibacter genome resulted in a kinetic barrier for glutamate to be channelled to the TCA cycle. Glutamate was stored as glutamate polymer. When amino acids (aspartate or glutamate) and acetate were supplied together, Ca. Accumulibacter took up both carbon sources simultaneously, with the uptake rate of each carbon source largely preserved. Overall energy savings (up to 17%) were achieved under mixed carbon scenarios, due to the ability of Ca. Accumulibacter to rearrange its anaerobic carbon metabolism based on the reducing power, PMF and ATP balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanglei Qiu
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
- School of Environment and Energy , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Xianghui Liu
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
| | - Nay Min Min Thaw Saw
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
| | - Yingyu Law
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
| | - Rogelio Zuniga-Montanez
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, One Shields Avenue , University of California , Davis , California 95616 , United States
| | - Sara Swa Thi
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
| | - Thi Quynh Ngoc Nguyen
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
| | - Per H Nielsen
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
- Centre for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience , Aalborg University , DK-9220 , Aalborg , Denmark
| | - Rohan B H Williams
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore 119077 , Singapore
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637551 , Singapore
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, One Shields Avenue , University of California , Davis , California 95616 , United States
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 639798 , Singapore
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