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Liu YN, Liu XW. Nanoscale Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Microbial Adhesion: Unveiling Stepwise Transitions with Plasmonic Imaging. ACS NANO 2024; 18:16002-16010. [PMID: 38837910 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c04354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Understanding bacterial adhesion at the nanoscale is crucial for elucidating biofilm formation, enhancing biosensor performance, and designing advanced biomaterials. However, the dynamics of the critical transition from reversible to irreversible adhesion has remained elusive due to analytical constraints. Here, we probed this adhesion transition, unveiling nanoscale, step-like bacterial approaches to substrates using a plasmonic imaging technique. This method reveals the discontinuous nature of adhesion, emphasizing the complex interplay between bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and substrates. Our findings not only deepen our understanding of bacterial adhesion but also have significant implications for the development of theoretical models for biofilm management. By elucidating these nanoscale step-like adhesion processes, our work provides avenues for the application of nanotechnology in biosensing, biofilm control, and the creation of biomimetic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Nan Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xian-Wei Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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2
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Xu L, Bai X, Li K, Zhang G, Zhang M, Hu M, Huang Y. Human Exposure to Ambient Atmospheric Microplastics in a Megacity: Spatiotemporal Variation and Associated Microorganism-Related Health Risk. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:3702-3713. [PMID: 38356452 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics are found in various human tissues and are considered harmful, raising concerns about human exposure to microplastics in the environment. Existing research has analyzed indoor and occupational scenarios, but long-term monitoring of ambient atmospheric microplastics (AMPs), especially in highly polluted urban regions, needs to be further investigated. This study estimated human environmental exposure to AMPs by considering inhalation, dust ingestion, and dermal exposure in three urban functional zones within a megacity. The annual exposure quantity was 7.37 × 104 items for children and 1.06 × 105 items for adults, comparable with the human microplastic consumption from food and water. Significant spatiotemporal differences were observed in the characteristics of AMPs that humans were exposed to, with wind speed and rainfall frequency mainly driving these changes. The annual human AMP exposure quantity in urban green land spaces, which were recognized as relatively low polluted zones, was comparable with that in public service zones and residential zones. Notably, significant positive correlations between the AMP characteristics and the pathogenicity of the airborne bacterial community were discovered. AMP size and immune-mediated disease risks brought by atmospheric microbes showed the most significant relationship, where Sphingomonas might act as the potential key mediator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Xu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xinyi Bai
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kang Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guangbao Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mengjun Zhang
- Peking University Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China
- PKU-HKUST Shenzhen-Hongkong Institution, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China
| | - Min Hu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yi Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking University Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China
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3
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Xu L, Li K, Bai X, Zhang G, Tian X, Tang Q, Zhang M, Hu M, Huang Y. Microplastics in the atmosphere: Adsorb on leaves and their effects on the phyllosphere bacterial community. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 462:132789. [PMID: 37862903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Phyllosphere is the largest interface between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems and serves as a major sink for atmospheric microplastics (MPs). It is also a unique habitat for microbiota with diverse ecological functions. This field study investigated the characteristics of atmospheric MPs adsorbed on leaves with automatic technology, and found their abundance was 3.62 ± 1.29 items cm-2. MPs on leaves were mainly below 80 µm, and dominated by polyamide, polyethene, and rubber. MPs on leaves correlated significantly with the structure and functions of the phyllosphere bacterial community (PBC). Both the MPs abundance and size distribution (MSD) were positively correlated with the α diversity and negatively correlated with the β diversity and network complexity of PBC. PBC functions of environmental and genetic information process were negatively correlated with MPs abundance, and functions related to human diseases and cellular process were positively correlated with MSD significantly. The relative abundance of Sphingomonas was significantly correlated with the MSD, suggesting that Sphingomonas might emerge as the key genus involved in the pathogenicity of PBC mediated by MPs. These results highlighted the ecological health risks of atmospheric MPs as they can be transferred anywhere and potentially increase the pathogenicity of local phyllosphere microflora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Xu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kang Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xinyi Bai
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guangbao Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xudong Tian
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Monitoring, Forewarning and Quality Control of Zhejiang, Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Qian Tang
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Monitoring, Forewarning and Quality Control of Zhejiang, Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Mengjun Zhang
- Peking University Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China; PKU-HKUST Shenzhen-Hongkong Institution, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China.
| | - Min Hu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yi Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking University Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China.
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4
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Meng F, Guo S, Zhang L, Lu Y, Li M, Tan Y, Zha K, Yuan S. Ecological mechanisms of biofilm development in the hybrid sludge-biofilm process: Implications for process start-up and optimization. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 245:120587. [PMID: 37717335 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The hybrid sludge-biofilm processes have been widely applied for the construction or upgradation of biological wastewater treatment process. Ecological mechanisms of biofilm development remain unclear in the hybrid ecosystem, because of the intricate interactive effects between sludge and biofilms. Herein, the establishment principles of biofilms with distinct coexisting sludge amounts were uncovered by varying sludge retention times (SRTs) from 5 to 40 days in the hybrid process. With the increasing of SRTs, biofilm biomass decreased with the increase of suspended sludge, resulting in lower biofilm proportion. As estimated by the Gompertz growth model, the increased sludge amounts (i.e., higher SRTs of 20 and 40 days) prolonged the initial colonization stage and decreased the specific development rate of biofilms when compared to lower sludge amounts with the shorter SRTs (i.e., 5 and 10 days). Null model analysis demonstrated that deterministic homogenous selection could facilitate the colonization and accumulation of biofilms with less coexisting sludge (SRT of 10 days). However, stochastic ecological drift and homogenizing dispersal dominated the colonization and accumulation stages of biofilms with more coexisting sludge (SRT of 20 days), respectively. The ecological networks reflected that positively-related taxa presented taxonomic relatedness, whereas high inconsistency of taxonomic relatedness was observed among aggregate forms or development stages as affected by varied SRTs. The high incidence of intra-taxa co-occurrence patterns suggested that taxa with similar ecological niches could be specifically selected in biofilms when being exposed with less coexisting sludge. This study uncovered ecological mechanisms of biofilm development driven by varying the SRTs of suspended sludge, which would help to propose appropriate strategies for the efficient start-up and optimization of the hybrid sludge-biofilm system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangang Meng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, PR China
| | - Sixian Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, PR China
| | - Lidan Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Yi Lu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Mengdi Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Yongtao Tan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Keqi Zha
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Shasha Yuan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, PR China.
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5
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Ran N, Sorek G, Stein N, Sharon-Gojman R, Herzberg M, Gillor O. Multispecies biofilms on reverse osmosis membrane dictate the function and characteristics of the bacterial communities rather than their structure. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:115999. [PMID: 37105294 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The main reason for the deterioration of membrane operation during water purification processes is biofouling, which has therefore been extensively studied. Biofouling was shown to reduce membrane performance reflected by permeate flux decline, reduced selectivity, membrane biodegradation, and consequently, an increase in energy consumption. Studies of biofouling focused on the identification of the assembled microbial communities, the excretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and their combined role in reduced membrane performance and lifetime. However, the link between the structure and function of biofouling communities has not been elucidated to date. Here, we provide a novel insight, suggesting that bacterial functions rather than composition control biofouling traits on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. We studied the potential activity of RO biofilms at metatranscriptome resolution, accompanied by the morphology and function of the biofouling layer over time, including microscopy and EPS composition, adhesion, and viscoelastic properties. To that end, we cultivated natural multispecies biofilms in RO membranes under treated wastewater flow and extracted RNA to study their taxonomies and gene expression profiles. Concomitantly, the biofilm structure was visualized using both scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy. We also used quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation to characterize the affinity of EPS to membrane-mimetic sensors and evaluated the viscoelasticity of the Ex-Situ EPS layer formed on the sensor. Our results showed that different active bacterial taxa across five taxonomic classes were assembled on the RO membrane, while the composition shifted between 48 and 96 h. However, regardless of the composition, the maturation of the biofilm resulted in the expression of similar gene families tightly associated with the temporal kinetics of the EPS composition, adhesion, and viscoelasticity. Our findings highlight the temporal selection of specific microbial functions rather than composition, featuring the adhesion kinetics and viscoelastic properties of the RO biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noya Ran
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 84990, Israel
| | - Gil Sorek
- Department of Life Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, 84105, Israel; National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Noa Stein
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 84990, Israel
| | - Revital Sharon-Gojman
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 84990, Israel
| | - Moshe Herzberg
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 84990, Israel.
| | - Osnat Gillor
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 84990, Israel.
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6
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Miao X, Han X, Liu C, Bai X. Intrinsic chlorine resistance of bacteria modulated by glutaminyl-tRNA biosynthesis in drinking water supply systems. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136322. [PMID: 36084827 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The existence of chlorine-resistant bacteria (CRB) in drinking water supply systems (DWSSs) results in significant challenges to the biological security of drinking water. However, little is known about the intrinsic chlorine-resistant molecular metabolic mechanism of bacteria in DWSSs. This research explored the microbial interactions and the key metabolic pathways that modulate the chlorine resistance of bacteria in full-scale chloraminated DWSSs. The dominant CRB, including Bdellovibrio, Bradyrhizobium, Peredibacter, Sphingomonas, and Hydrogenophaga, strongly interacted with each other to maintain basic metabolism. A total of 4.21% of the bacterial metabolic pathways were key and specific to chlorine-resistant bacteria. Glutaminyl-tRNA biosynthesis was the dominant metabolic pathway of CRB in the target DWSSs. After chloramine disinfection, the relative abundance of glutamate-tRNA ligase (GlnRS) and the related orthologous genes increased by 10.11% and 14.58%, respectively. The inactivation rate of the GlnRS overexpression strain (81.40%) was lower than that of the wild-type strain (90.11%) after exposure to chloramine. Meanwhile, the growth rate of the GlnRS overexpression strain was higher than that of the wild-type strain. Glutaminyl-tRNA biosynthesis can enhance chlorine resistance in DWSSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocao Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Xue Han
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
| | - Chenxu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
| | - Xiaohui Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China.
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7
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Li Y, Wang H, Xu C, Sun SH, Xiao K, Huang X. Two strategies of stubborn biofouling strains surviving from NaClO membrane cleaning: EPS shielding and/or quorum sensing. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156421. [PMID: 35660590 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The declined performance of repeated chemically-enhanced-backwashing (CEB) seriously hampered the sustainable operation of membrane bioreactor (MBR) in long-term, and could be partially attributed to the strengthened anti-cleaning properties of residual stubborn microbes. Although plenty of research has been done towards either the model strains or the whole post-CEB microbial community, little was known about the resisting behavior of practical stubborn strains when confronting oxidative stresses induced by NaClO. Hence, this study isolated 21 strains from samples in a large-scale MBR plant with routine CEB treatment. To unravel how they survive and affect membrane fouling, their anti-oxidation ability, fouling potential and quorum sensing (QS) effect before and after NaClO stimuli were evaluated. The composition and molecular weight distribution of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) were also investigated to understand their roles during the anti-CEB process. It was found that typical stubborn strains tended to secrete more EPS as protective shields, where polysaccharides (especially the ones >1 kDa) made major contribution. However, sometimes EPS could not well resist the stimuli, with consequent low survival rate and high intracellular ROS level. Under such circumstances, stubborn strains would rather choose to be sensitive with surged QS level and quick population regrowth to maintain vitality under the oxidative stresses. Both strategies aggravated biofouling and eventually enhanced the anti-cleaning properties of biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufang Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Han Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing OriginWater Membrane Technology Co., Ltd., Product and Technology Center, Beijing 101407, China
| | - Chenyang Xu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shih-Han Sun
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kang Xiao
- Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Research and Application Center for Membrane Technology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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8
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Sanawar H, Kim L, Farhat N, van Loosdrecht M, Vrouwenvelder J. Periodic chemical cleaning with urea: disintegration of biofilms and reduction of key biofilm-forming bacteria from reverse osmosis membranes. WATER RESEARCH X 2021; 13:100117. [PMID: 34585132 PMCID: PMC8456046 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2021.100117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biofouling is one of the major factors causing decline in membrane performance in reverse osmosis (RO) plants, and perhaps the biggest hurdle of membrane technology. Chemical cleaning is periodically carried out at RO membrane installations aiming to restore membrane performance. Typical cleaning agents used in the water treatment industry include sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) in sequence. Rapid biofilm regrowth and related membrane performance decline after conventional chemical cleaning is a routinely observed phenomenon due to the inefficient removal of biomass from membrane modules. Since extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) make up the strongest and predominant structural framework of biofilms, disintegration of the EPS matrix should be the main target for enhanced biomass removal. Previously, we demonstrated at lab-scale the use of concentrated urea as a chemical cleaning agent for RO membrane systems. The protein denaturation property of urea was exploited to solubilize the proteinaceous foulants, weakening the EPS layer, resulting in enhanced biomass solubilization and removal from RO membrane systems. In this work, we investigated the impact of repeated chemical cleaning cycles with urea/HCl as well as NaOH/HCl on biomass removal and the potential adaptation of the biofilm microbial community. Chemical cleaning with urea/HCl was consistently more effective than NaOH/HCl cleaning over 6 cleaning and regrowth cycles. At the end of the 6 cleaning cycles, the percent reduction was 35% and 41% in feed channel pressure drop, 50% and 70% in total organic carbon, 30% and 40% in EPS proteins, and 40% and 66% in the peak intensities of protein-like matter, after NaOH/HCl cleaning and Urea/HCl cleaning, respectively. 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing of the biofilm microbial community revealed that urea cleaning does not select for key biofouling families such as Sphingomonadaceae and Xanthomonadaceae that are known to survive conventional chemical cleaning and produce adhesive EPS. This study reaffirmed that urea possesses all the desirable properties of a chemical cleaning agent, i.e., it dissolves the existing fouling layer, delays fresh fouling accumulation by inhibiting the production of a more viscous EPS, does not cause damage to the membranes, is chemically stable, and environmentally friendly as it can be recycled for cleaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Sanawar
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - L.H. Kim
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - N.M. Farhat
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - M.C.M. van Loosdrecht
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - J.S. Vrouwenvelder
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
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9
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Yuan S, Xu R, Wang D, Lin Q, Zhou S, Lin J, Xia L, Fu Y, Gan Z, Meng F. Ecological Linkages between a Biofilm Ecosystem and Reactor Performance: The Specificity of Biofilm Development Phases. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:11948-11960. [PMID: 34415760 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
In biofilm-based engineered ecosystems, the reactor performance was closely linked to interspecies interactions within a biofilm ecosystem, whereas the ecological processes underpinning such linkage were still unenlightened. Herein, the principles of community succession and assembly were integrated to capture the ecological laws of biofilm development by molecular ecological networks and assembly model analysis based on the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis and metagenomics in a well-controlled moving bed biofilm reactor. At the initial colonization phase (days 0-2, driven by initial colonizers), interspecific cooperation (74.18%) facilitated initial biofilm formation, whereas some pioneers, and keystone species disappeared at later phases. At the accumulation phase (days 3-30, rapid biofilm development), interspecific cooperation (81.41 ± 5.07%) contributed to rapid biofilm development and keystone species were mainly involved in quorum sensing or positively correlated with extracellular polymeric substance production. At the maturation phase (days 31-106, a well-adapted quasi-equilibrium state), increased interspecific competition (32.74 ± 4.77%) and higher small-world property facilitated the rapid information transportation and pollutant treatment, and keystone species were positively correlated with the removal of COD and NH4+-N. Homogenizing dispersal diminished the contemporary community dissimilarities, while turnover but rather nestedness governed the temporal variations in the biofilm succession period. This study highlighted the specificity of ecological processes at distinct biofilm development phases, which would advance our understanding on the development-to-function linkages in biofilm-based treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Yuan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Ronghua Xu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Depeng Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Qining Lin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Shunyi Zhou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Jieying Lin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Lichao Xia
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Yue Fu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Zhihao Gan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
| | - Fangang Meng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Changsha, Hunan 410125, P. R. China
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10
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Siddharth T, Sridhar P, Vinila V, Tyagi RD. Environmental applications of microbial extracellular polymeric substance (EPS): A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 287:112307. [PMID: 33798774 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
During the last decade, water demand and wastewater generation has increased due to urbanization around the globe which had led to an increase in the utilization of chemicals/synthetic polymers for treating the wastewaters. These synthetic polymers used during the coagulation/flocculation process are non-renewable, non-biodegradable, and have a potential neurotoxic and carcinogenic effect. From the literature it is clear that extracellular polymer substance (EPS) is a potential bioflocculant, moreover it is renewable, biodegradable, eco-friendly, non-toxic as well as economically valued product. The various identification techniques and extraction methods of EPS are elaborated. Further application of EPS as absorbent in removing the dye from the industrial effluent is presented. Moreover EPS as a potential adsorbent for heavy metal removal from the various effluent is discussed. In addition, EPS is also utilized for soil remediation and soil erosion control. Mainly, EPS as bioflocculant in treating raw water, wastewater treatment, leachate and sludge management are summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Siddharth
- Water and Environment Division, Department of Civil Engineering National Institute of Technology - Warangal, Telangana, India
| | - P Sridhar
- Water and Environment Division, Department of Civil Engineering National Institute of Technology - Warangal, Telangana, India.
| | - V Vinila
- Water and Environment Division, Department of Civil Engineering National Institute of Technology - Warangal, Telangana, India
| | - R D Tyagi
- Chief Scientific Officer, BOSK Bioproducts, Canada
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11
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Li Y, Wang H, Wang S, Xiao K, Huang X. Enzymatic Cleaning Mitigates Polysaccharide-Induced Refouling of RO Membrane: Evidence from Foulant Layer Structure and Microbial Dynamics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:5453-5462. [PMID: 33492142 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Traditional harsh chemical cleaning-in-place (CIP) is corrosive to membranes but has limited inhibition on refouling, a tough problem for long-term operation of reverse osmosis (RO). Mild enzymatic cleaning (at pH 9) is a promising alternative but lacks long-term verification and insightful elucidation. In this study, we investigated the instantaneous efficiency, postcleaning refouling, and biological effect of enzymatic CIP (compounded with lipase, protease, and sodium dodecyl sulfate) on practical RO membranes during a 500 h multicycle operation. The enzymatic CIP had an average cleaning efficiency of 77%, which is comparable to a commercial harsh CIP benchmark (pH > 12). It mitigated refouling by shaping the biofilm into a loose and porous architecture where newly arrived organics conformed standard blocking, whereas harsh chemicals rendered a smooth and dense gel layer with quick refouling in intermediate blocking or cake filtration mode. Such structural disparities were dominated by polysaccharides according to quantitative chemical analyses. Gene sequencing and ecological network analysis further proved that the behavior of polysaccharide-related keystone species (such as Sphingomonas and Xanthomonas) significantly changed after long-term enzymatic treatment. In this regard, the mild selective pressure of enzymatic reagents can directionally regulate microbial dynamics, alter foulant layer structure via bio-organic synchronicity, mitigate refouling, and eventually improve the sustainability of RO operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufang Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Han Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shu Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kang Xiao
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Research and Application Center for Membrane Technology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Research and Application Center for Membrane Technology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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12
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Herzberg M, Berglin M, Eliahu S, Bodin L, Agrenius K, Zlotkin A, Svenson J. Efficient Prevention of Marine Biofilm Formation Employing a Surface-Grafted Repellent Marine Peptide. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021; 4:3360-3373. [PMID: 35014421 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Creation of surfaces resistant to the formation of microbial biofilms via biomimicry has been heralded as a promising strategy to protect a range of different materials ranging from boat hulls to medical devices and surgical instruments. In our current study, we describe the successful transfer of a highly effective natural marine biofilm inhibitor to the 2D surface format. A series of cyclic peptides inspired by the natural equinatoxin II protein produced by Beadlet anemone (Actinia equine) have been evaluated for their ability to inhibit the formation of a mixed marine microbial consortium on polyamide reverse osmosis membranes. In solution, the peptides are shown to effectively inhibit settlement and biofilm formation in a nontoxic manner down to 1 nM concentrations. In addition, our study also illustrates how the peptides can be applied to disperse already established biofilms. Attachment of a hydrophobic palmitic acid tail generates a peptide suited for strong noncovalent surface interactions and allows the generation of stable noncovalent coatings. These adsorbed peptides remain attached to the surface at significant shear stress and also remain active, effectively preventing the biofilm formation over 24 h. Finally, the covalent attachment of the peptides to an acrylate surface was also evaluated and the prepared coatings display a remarkable ability to prevent surface colonization at surface loadings of 55 ng/cm2 over 48 h. The ability to retain the nontoxic antibiofilm activity, documented in solution, in the covalent 2D-format is unprecedented, and this natural peptide motif displays high potential in several material application areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Herzberg
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 84990, Israel
| | - Mattias Berglin
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden.,Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg SE405 30, Sweden
| | - Sarai Eliahu
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 84990, Israel
| | - Lovisa Bodin
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden
| | - Karin Agrenius
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden
| | - Amir Zlotkin
- DisperseBio Ltd, 27 Kehilat lvov Street, Tel-Aviv 6972513, Israel
| | - Johan Svenson
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden
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13
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Reducing the Impacts of Biofouling in RO Membrane Systems through In Situ Low Fluence Irradiation Employing UVC-LEDs. MEMBRANES 2020; 10:membranes10120415. [PMID: 33322250 PMCID: PMC7764532 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10120415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Biofouling is a major concern for numerous reverse osmosis membrane systems. UV pretreatment of the feed stream showed promising results but is still not an established technology as it does not maintain a residual effect. By conducting accelerated biofouling experiments in this study, it was investigated whether low fluence UV in situ treatment of the feed using UVC light-emitting diodes (UVC-LEDs) has a lasting effect on the biofilm. The application of UVC-LEDs for biofouling control is a novel hybrid technology that has not been investigated, yet. It could be shown that a low fluence of 2 mJ∙cm-2 delays biofilm formation by more than 15% in lab-scale experiments. In addition, biofilms at the same feed channel pressure drop exhibited a more than 40% reduced hydraulic resistance. The delay is probably linked to the inactivation of cells in the feed stream, modified adsorption properties or an induced cell cycle arrest. The altered hydraulic resistance might be caused by a change in the microbial community, as well as reduced adenosine triphosphate levels per cells, possibly impacting quorum sensing and extracellular polymeric substances production. Due to the observed biofilm attributes, low fluence UV-LED in situ treatment of the feed stream seems to be a promising technology for biofouling control.
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14
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Abstract
Studying interfacial dynamics of a single biological entity (cell, virus, or organelle) is critical for understanding microbial biofilm formation processes, developing biosensors, and designing biomaterials. However, the ability to measure the binding force between a single biological entity and surface remains a great challenge due to the hydrated feature of biological entity. In this paper, we present an optical imaging method that is able to measure the adhesion strength of single microbial cells. Unlike the existing methods with limited throughput, this method determines the adhesion strength of multiple individual cells simultaneously. This approach has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of the adhesion process at the microscopic scale and probe the biointerfaces. Probing the binding between a microbe and surface is critical for understanding biofilm formation processes, developing biosensors, and designing biomaterials, but it remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate a method to measure the interfacial forces of bacteria attached to the surface. We tracked the intrinsic fluctuations of individual bacterial cells using an interferometric plasmonic imaging technique. Unlike the existing methods, this approach determined the potential energy profile and quantified the adhesion strength of single cells by analyzing the fluctuations. This method provides insights into biofilm formation and can also serve as a promising platform for investigating biological entity/surface interactions, such as pathogenicity, microbial cell capture and detection, and antimicrobial interface screening.
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15
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Czieborowski M, Hübenthal A, Poehlein A, Vogt I, Philipp B. Genetic and physiological analysis of biofilm formation on different plastic surfaces by Sphingomonas sp. strain S2M10 reveals an essential function of sphingan biosynthesis. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2020; 166:918-935. [PMID: 32762802 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alphaproteobacteria belonging to the group of the sphingomonads are frequently found in biofilms colonizing pure-water systems, where they cause technical and hygienic problems. In this study, physiological properties of sphingomonads for biofilm formation on plastic surfaces were analysed. Sphingomonas sp. strain S2M10 was isolated from a used water-filtration membrane and submitted to transposon mutagenesis for isolating mutants with altered biofilm formation. Mutants showing strongly decreased biofilm formation carried transposon insertions in genes for the biosynthesis of the polysaccharide sphingan and for flagellar motility. Flagella-mediated attachment was apparently important for biofilm formation on plastic materials of intermediate hydrophobicity, while a mutant with defect in spnB, encoding the first enzyme in sphingan biosynthesis, showed no biofilm formation on all tested materials. Sphingan-dependent biofilm formation was induced in the presence of specific carbon sources while it was not induced in complex medium with yeast extract and tryptone. The regulation of sphingan-based biofilm formation was investigated by interfering with the CckA/ChpT/CtrA phosphorelay, a central signal-transduction pathway in most Alphaproteobacteria. Construction and ectopic expression of a kinase-deficient histidine kinase CckA caused cell elongation and massive sphingan-dependent cell aggregation. In addition, it caused increased activity of the promotor of spnB. In conclusion, these results indicate that sphingan-based biofilm formation by sphingomonads might be triggered by specific carbon sources under prototrophic conditions resembling a milieu that often prevails in pure-water systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Czieborowski
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Anna Hübenthal
- Present address: Institute for Technical Microbiology, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany.,Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Wilhelmsplatz 1, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ines Vogt
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Bodo Philipp
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany
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16
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Wang H, Liu Z, Luo S, Khan R, Dai P, Liang P, Zhang X, Xiao K, Huang X. Membrane autopsy deciphering keystone microorganisms stubborn against online NaOCl cleaning in a full-scale MBR. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 171:115390. [PMID: 31865129 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The knowledge about membrane biofouling evolution in full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) applications is quite lacking, notwithstanding a few lab-scale investigations. For the first time, this study elaborated the effect of online NaOCl cleaning on the dynamic development of membrane biofilm microbiota during long-term operation of a large-scale MBR for municipal wastewater treatment (40,000 m3/d). Four times of membrane autopsies were conducted during 160 days operation to scrutinize the microbial community and concomitant organic foulants. The transmembrane pressure difference (TMP) development revealed limited effect of 30 min online NaOCl cleaning on long-term biofouling removal. NaOCl not only altered the structure of biofilm communities but also increased the richness and evenness on early fouling stages. Meanwhile, network analysis revealed the keystone taxa f_Comamonadaceae that played key roles in stabilizing community structure and developing anti-cleaning and irreversible fouling propensity of the biofilm. NaOCl cleaning also impacted the evolving of keystone taxa by intensifying the competition between the dominated taxa f_Moraxellaceae and other species during early fouling stages. Furthermore, the succession of the biofilm microbiota synchronously accelerated the TMP increase and the accumulation of organic foulants including polysaccharides, aromatic proteins and soluble microbial products during biofilm maturation. These identified key stubborn foulants shed light on limitations of current online NaOCl cleaning and provide guidance to optimize the efficiency of online chemical cleaning protocols in full-scale MBR operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ziwei Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shuai Luo
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Rashid Khan
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Pan Dai
- Beijing Origin Water Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Peng Liang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kang Xiao
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Research and Application Center for Membrane Technology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Research and Application Center for Membrane Technology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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17
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Catão ECP, Pollet T, Misson B, Garnier C, Ghiglione JF, Barry-Martinet R, Maintenay M, Bressy C, Briand JF. Shear Stress as a Major Driver of Marine Biofilm Communities in the NW Mediterranean Sea. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1768. [PMID: 31608016 PMCID: PMC6774042 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While marine biofilms depend on environmental conditions and substrate, little is known about the influence of hydrodynamic forces. We tested different immersion modes (dynamic, cyclic and static) in Toulon Bay (north-western Mediterranean Sea; NWMS). The static mode was also compared between Toulon and Banyuls Bays. In addition, different artificial surfaces designed to hamper cell attachment (self-polishing coating: SPC; and fouling-release coating: FRC) were compared to inert plastic. Prokaryotic community composition was affected by immersion mode, surface characteristics and site. Rhodobacteriaceae and Flavobacteriaceae dominated the biofilm community structure, with distinct genera according to surface type or immersion mode. Cell density increased with time, greatly limited by hydrodynamic forces, and supposed to delay biofilm maturation. After 1 year, a significant impact of shear stress on the taxonomic structure of the prokaryotic community developed on each surface type was observed. When surfaces contained no biocides, roughness and wettability shaped prokaryotic community structure, which was not enhanced by shear stress. Conversely, the biocidal effect of SPC surfaces, already major in static immersion mode, was amplified by the 15 knots speed. The biofilm community on SPC was 60% dissimilar to the biofilm on the other surfaces and was distinctly colonized by Sphingomonadaceae ((Alter)Erythrobacter). At Banyuls, prokaryotic community structures were more similar between the four surfaces tested than at Toulon, due possibly to a masking effect of environmental constraints, especially hydrodynamic, which was greater than in Toulon. Finally, predicted functions such as cell adhesion confirmed some of the hypotheses drawn regarding biofilm formation over the artificial surfaces tested here.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Pollet
- Laboratoire MAPIEM (EA 4323), Université de Toulon, Toulon, France
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, ENVA, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Benjamin Misson
- CNRS/INSU, IRD, MIO UM 110, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, University of Toulon – Aix-Marseille University, La Garde, France
| | - Cédric Garnier
- CNRS/INSU, IRD, MIO UM 110, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, University of Toulon – Aix-Marseille University, La Garde, France
| | - Jean-Francois Ghiglione
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d’Océanographie Microbienne, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Marine Maintenay
- Laboratoire MAPIEM (EA 4323), Université de Toulon, Toulon, France
| | - Christine Bressy
- Laboratoire MAPIEM (EA 4323), Université de Toulon, Toulon, France
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18
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de Vries HJ, Beyer F, Jarzembowska M, Lipińska J, van den Brink P, Zwijnenburg A, Timmers PHA, Stams AJM, Plugge CM. Isolation and characterization of Sphingomonadaceae from fouled membranes. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2019; 5:6. [PMID: 30701078 PMCID: PMC6347639 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-018-0074-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane filtration systems are widely applied for the production of clean drinking water. However, the accumulation of particles on synthetic membranes leads to fouling. Biological fouling (i.e., biofouling) of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes is difficult to control by existing cleaning procedures. Improved strategies are therefore needed. The bacterial diversity on fouled membranes has been studied, especially to identify bacteria with specialized functions and to develop targeted approaches against these microbes. Previous studies have shown that Sphingomonadaceae are initial membrane colonizers that remain dominant while the biofilm develops. Here, we characterized 21 Sphingomonadaceae isolates, obtained from six different fouled membranes, to determine which physiological traits could contribute to colonization of membrane surfaces. Their growth conditions ranged from temperatures between 8 and 42 oC, salinity between 0.0 and 5.0% w/v NaCl, pH from 4 and 10, and all isolates were able to metabolize a wide range of substrates. The results presented here show that Sphingomonadaceae membrane isolates share many features that are uncommon for other members of the Sphingomonadaceae family: all membrane isolates are motile and their tolerance for different temperatures, salt concentrations, and pH is high. Although relative abundance is an indicator of fitness for a whole group, for the Sphingomonadaceae it does not reveal the specific physiological traits that are required for membrane colonization. This study, therefore, adds to more fundamental insights in membrane biofouling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik J. de Vries
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Florian Beyer
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Monika Jarzembowska
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joanna Lipińska
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Paula van den Brink
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Arie Zwijnenburg
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Peer H. A. Timmers
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Alfons J. M. Stams
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline M. Plugge
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
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19
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Ashfaq MY, Al-Ghouti MA, Qiblawey H, Zouari N. Evaluating the effect of antiscalants on membrane biofouling using FTIR and multivariate analysis. BIOFOULING 2019; 35:1-14. [PMID: 30672327 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2018.1557637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A combination of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, multivariate analysis and conventional microbiological assays were utilized to characterize and differentiate membrane biofouling formed in the presence of antiscalants. Based on the FTIR spectra of biofouled reverse osmosis membranes obtained after incubating with antiscalants and H. aquamarina (as model microorganism), it was found that the biofouling intensity and composition was dependent on the type of antiscalants used. The growth of the bacterium was also highly affected by the type of antiscalants as shown by the colony forming unit (CFU) counts. By combining the techniques of principle component analysis (PCA) and FTIR, it was demonstrated that the biofouling was more intense and composed of proteins, polysaccharides and lipids, when polymer antiscalant was used. By applying PCA-FTIR with CFU counts, faster prediction of the effect of antiscalants on biofouling was made possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Y Ashfaq
- a Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences , College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University , Doha , Qatar
| | - Mohammad A Al-Ghouti
- a Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences , College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University , Doha , Qatar
| | - Hazim Qiblawey
- b Department of Chemical Engineering , College of Engineering, Qatar University , Doha , Qatar
| | - Nabil Zouari
- a Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences , College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University , Doha , Qatar
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20
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Yu T, Sun H, Chen Z, Wang YH, Huo ZY, Ikuno N, Ishii K, Jin Y, Hu HY, Wu YH, Lu Y. Different bacterial species and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) significantly affected reverse osmosis (RO) membrane fouling potentials in wastewater reclamation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 644:486-493. [PMID: 29990899 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biofouling represents the "Achilles' heel" for reverse osmosis (RO) processes due to the growth of bacteria and their production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). Although the microbial community structure on the RO membrane has been analysed previously, the bacterial species with a high potential of causing RO membrane fouling have not yet been identified clearly. The key components in EPSs causing RO membrane fouling have not been revealed either. In this study, seven different bacterial species were isolated from fouled RO membranes, and their EPSs were analysed in terms of the content of polysaccharides and proteins, fluorescence characteristics and molecular weight (MW) distributions. The membrane fouling potentials of these bacterial species and EPSs were evaluated based on normalized flux decline. Generally, under the same growth conditions, bacterial species with higher EPS concentrations, rather than higher cell numbers, resulted in more severe flux decline. The flux decline showed an apparent positive correlation with the EPS concentration, indicating that the concentration of EPS rather than the bacterial number mainly contributed to biofouling. Furthermore, it was found that the MW distribution was the key factor affecting the RO membrane fouling potential of EPSs from different bacterial species. With the increase in the percentage of the high-MW fraction (>10 kDa) in the EPSs from 12.6% to 74.4%, the normalized flux decline increased from 0.4 to 0.59. The components in EPSs with a MW over 10 kDa were also separated by the ultrafiltration membrane and were proven to have a higher membrane fouling potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Yu
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Hao Sun
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Yun-Hong Wang
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Zheng-Yang Huo
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Nozomu Ikuno
- Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001, Japan
| | - Kazuki Ishii
- Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001, Japan
| | - Yan Jin
- Vontron Technology Co., Ltd., Guiyang 550018, PR China
| | - Hong-Ying Hu
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China; Shenzhen Environmental Science and New Energy Technology Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Yin-Hu Wu
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
| | - Yun Lu
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
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Nagaraj V, Skillman L, Li D, Ho G. Review - Bacteria and their extracellular polymeric substances causing biofouling on seawater reverse osmosis desalination membranes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 223:586-599. [PMID: 29975885 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.05.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Biofouling in seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes is a critical issue faced by the desalination industry worldwide. The major cause of biofouling is the irreversible attachment of recalcitrant biofilms formed by bacteria and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on membrane surfaces. Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and protobiofilms are recently identified as important precursors of membrane fouling. Despite considerable amount of research on SWRO biofouling, the control of biofouling still remains a challenge. While adoption of better pretreatment methods may help in preventing membrane biofouling in new desalination setups, it is also crucial to effectively disperse old, recalcitrant biofilms and prolong membrane life in operational plants. Most current practices employ the use of broad spectrum biocides and chemicals that target bacterial cells to disperse mature biofilms, which are evidently inefficient. EPS, being known as the strongest structural framework of biofilms, it is essential to breakdown and disintegrate the EPS components for effective biofilm removal. To achieve this, it is necessary to understand the chemical composition and key elements that constitute the EPS of major biofouling bacterial groups in multi-species, mature biofilms. However, significant gaps in understanding the complexity of EPS are evident by the failure to achieve effective prevention and mitigation of fouling in most cases. Some of the reasons may be difficulty in sampling membranes from fully operational full-scale plants, poor understanding of microbial communities and their ecological shifts under dynamic operational conditions within the desalination process, selection of inappropriate model species for laboratory-scale biofouling studies, and the laborious process of extraction and purification of EPS. This article reviews the novel findings on key aspects of SWRO membrane fouling and control measures with particular emphasis on the key sugars in EPS. As a novel strategy to alleviate biofouling, future control methods may be aimed towards specifically disintegrating and breaking down these key sugars rather than using broad spectrum chemicals such as biocides that are currently used in the industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veena Nagaraj
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
| | - Lucy Skillman
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
| | - Dan Li
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
| | - Goen Ho
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
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El Beaino M, Fares J, Malek A, Hachem R. Sphingomonas paucimobilis-related bone and soft-tissue infections: A systematic review. Int J Infect Dis 2018; 77:68-73. [PMID: 30267938 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2018.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sphingomonas paucimobilis is an emerging opportunistic bacterium with a particular tropism toward bones and soft tissues. It is a gram-negative rod that can infect immunosuppressed or immunocompetent individuals in the community or hospital settings. Prognosis of infected patients is generally good, but morbidity and mortality cases have both been documented. OBJECTIVES To present and discuss all reported Sphingomonas paucimobilis-mediated bone and soft-tissue infections, and shed light upon the relevance of this organism in orthopaedic surgery. DATA SOURCES Pubmed and Cochrane Library. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Studies reporting at least one human bone or soft-tissue infection due to Sphingomonas paucimobilis. RESULTS Ten articles describing 19 patients met the inclusion criteria. Common infections included osteomyelitis, cellulitis, and septic arthritis. Fifteen patients (78.9%) had community-acquired diseases. All patients were successfully treated with antibiotic therapy and only one (5.3%) had a residual complication. LIMITATIONS The study included a small sample size presenting with bone or soft-tissue infections. Some cases had lacking data. CONCLUSION Despite being associated with a good prognosis in most cases, Sphingomonas paucimobilis-related orthopaedic infections may exhibit some complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc El Beaino
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd Route 0165, 2.316 Rebecca Sealy, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
| | - Johny Fares
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1460, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Alexandre Malek
- Department of Infectious Diseases, McGovern School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Ray Hachem
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1460, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Maddela NR, Zhou Z, Yu Z, Zhao S, Meng F. Functional Determinants of Extracellular Polymeric Substances in Membrane Biofouling: Experimental Evidence from Pure-Cultured Sludge Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:e00756-18. [PMID: 29858205 PMCID: PMC6052268 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00756-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this work was to better understand the roles of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in membrane biofouling at the single-strain level. In the present study, a total of 23 bacterial strains were isolated from a sludge sample. The EPS extracted from pure-cultured bacteria were assessed for their fouling potentials and were simultaneously analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Further, the impact of calcium on the chemical composition of EPS and membrane fouling behavior was investigated in a strain-dependent manner. The EPS of the 23 bacterial strains exhibited different IR features for protein and polysaccharide regions. In addition, an α-1,4-glycosidic linkage (920 cm-1) and amide II (1,550 cm-1) correlated very well with the fouling potentials of all pure-cultured bacteria. In contrast to low-fouling strains, medium- and high-fouling strains exhibited two distinct peaks at 1,020 cm-1 (uronic acids) and 1,250 cm-1 (O-acetyl), which accelerate membrane fouling given their gelling capacities. In the presence of calcium, the fouling potential of a high-fouling strain (Bacillus sp. strain JSB10) was profoundly reduced (P < 0.0005) due to the binding activity of an α-1,4-glycosidic linkage and amide II with calcium. However, the impact of calcium on a low-fouling strain (Vagococcus sp. strain JSB21) was insignificant. Two-dimensional FTIR correlation spectroscopic (2D-FTIR-COS) analysis further revealed that the susceptibilities of functional groups to calcium largely relied on the composition and abundance of the above-described functional groups in EPS. These findings suggest that bacterial strains with different fouling potentials exhibit varied responses to calcium.IMPORTANCE Membrane biofouling is one of the main challenges for the operation of membrane-based processes used for water and wastewater treatment. This study revealed the functional determinants of EPS in membrane biofouling of 23 bacterial strains isolated from a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant. We found that an α-1,4-glycosidic bond, amide II, and uronic acids of EPS significantly correlated with the fouling potentials of bacteria. The roles of these EPS groups in membrane fouling were impacted by calcium resulting from EPS-calcium interactions. In addition, our results also demonstrated that any perturbations in the sludge bacterial community in MBRs can lead to varied filtration potentials of the bulk liquor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naga Raju Maddela
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongbo Zhou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong Yu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangang Meng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Bacteriophage-based strategies for biofouling control in ultrafiltration: In situ biofouling mitigation, biocidal additives and biofilm cleanser. J Colloid Interface Sci 2018; 523:254-265. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.03.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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25
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A zwitterionic block-copolymer, based on glutamic acid and lysine, reduces the biofouling of UF and RO membranes. J Memb Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2017.12.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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26
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27
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Nagaraj V, Skillman L, Ho G, Li D, Gofton A. Characterisation and comparison of bacterial communities on reverse osmosis membranes of a full-scale desalination plant by bacterial 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2017. [PMID: 28649414 PMCID: PMC5476683 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-017-0021-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes of full-scale seawater reverse osmosis membranes are complex and subject to variation within and between membrane units. The pre-existing bacterial communities of unused membranes before operation have been largely ignored in biofouling studies. This study is novel as unused membranes were used as a critical benchmark for comparison. Fouled seawater reverse osmosis membrane biofilm communities from an array of autopsied membrane samples, following a 7-year operational life-span in a full-scale desalination plant in Western Australia, were characterised by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding using the bacterial primers 515F and 806R. Communities were then compared based on fouling severity and sampling location. Microbiomes of proteobacterial predominance were detected on control unused membranes. However, fouled membrane communities differed significantly from those on unused membranes, reflecting that operational conditions select specific bacteria on the membrane surface. On fouled membranes, Proteobacteria were also predominant but families differed from those on unused membranes, followed by Bacteriodetes and Firmicutes. Betaproteobacteria correlated with stable, mature and thick biofilms such as those in severely fouled membranes or samples from the feed end of the membrane unit, while Alpha and Gammaproteobacteria were predominantly found in biofilms on fouled but visually clean, and moderately fouled samples or those from reject ends of membrane units. Gammaproteobacteria predominated the thin, compact biofilms at the mid-feed end of membrane units. The study also supported the importance of Caulobacterales and glycosphingolipid-producing bacteria, namely Sphingomonadales, Rhizobiales and Sphingobacteriia, in primary attachment and biofilm recalcitrance. Nitrate-and-nitrite-reducing bacteria such as Rhizobiales, Burkholderiales and some Pseudomonadales were also prevalent across all fouled membranes and appeared to be critical for ecological balance and biofilm maturation. The diverse microbial populations on seawater desalination plant membranes have been characterised after full operational lifecycles. The membranes were used for seven years to purify water by reverse osmosis. Biofouling can seriously impair the efficiency of the membranes but the problem has not previously been well characterised, especially after a full life-span of membrane operation. Veena Nagaraj and colleagues at Murdoch University in Australia investigated biofilms and used genetic analysis to identify the bacteria growing on 14 used membranes, and compared the results with pre-existing contamination on unused membranes. The research revealed that operational conditions favour the growth of specific bacterial populations, predominantly Proteobacteria, but also Bacteriodetes and Firmicutes. The results should assist research to devise new methods to prevent and alleviate the biofouling of desalination plant membranes and maximise the efficiency of their operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veena Nagaraj
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - Lucy Skillman
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - Goen Ho
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - Dan Li
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150 Australia
| | - Alexander Gofton
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150 Australia
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28
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Al Ashhab A, Sweity A, Bayramoglu B, Herzberg M, Gillor O. Biofouling of reverse osmosis membranes: effects of cleaning on biofilm microbial communities, membrane performance, and adherence of extracellular polymeric substances. BIOFOULING 2017; 33:397-409. [PMID: 28468513 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2017.1318382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory-scale reverse osmosis (RO) flat-sheet systems were used with two parallel flow cells, one treated with cleaning agents and a control (ie undisturbed). The cleaning efforts increased the affinity of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to the RO membrane and altered the biofilm surface structure. Analysis of the membrane biofilm community composition revealed the dominance of Proteobacteria. However, within the phylum Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria dominated the cleaned membrane biofilm, while β-Proteobacteria dominated the control biofilm. The composition of the fungal phyla was also altered by cleaning, with enhancement of Ascomycota and suppression of Basidiomycota. The results suggest that repeated cleaning cycles select for microbial groups that strongly attach to the RO membrane surface by producing rigid and adhesive EPS that hampers membrane performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf Al Ashhab
- a Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
| | - Amer Sweity
- a Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
| | - Bihter Bayramoglu
- a Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
| | - Moshe Herzberg
- a Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
| | - Osnat Gillor
- a Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Midreshet Ben Gurion , Israel
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29
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Detection and Clinical Implications of Biofilm Formation Among Clinical Isolates of Sphingomonas paucimobilis in Turkey. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2016. [DOI: 10.5812/jjm.35924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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30
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Wood TL, Guha R, Tang L, Geitner M, Kumar M, Wood TK. Living biofouling-resistant membranes as a model for the beneficial use of engineered biofilms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E2802-11. [PMID: 27140616 PMCID: PMC4878488 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1521731113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane systems are used increasingly for water treatment, recycling water from wastewater, during food processing, and energy production. They thus are a key technology to ensure water, energy, and food sustainability. However, biofouling, the build-up of microbes and their polymeric matrix, clogs these systems and reduces their efficiency. Realizing that a microbial film is inevitable, we engineered a beneficial biofilm that prevents membrane biofouling, limiting its own thickness by sensing the number of its cells that are present via a quorum-sensing circuit. The beneficial biofilm also prevents biofilm formation by deleterious bacteria by secreting nitric oxide, a general biofilm dispersal agent, as demonstrated by both short-term dead-end filtration and long-term cross-flow filtration tests. In addition, the beneficial biofilm was engineered to produce an epoxide hydrolase so that it efficiently removes the environmental pollutant epichlorohydrin. Thus, we have created a living biofouling-resistant membrane system that simultaneously reduces biofouling and provides a platform for biodegradation of persistent organic pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thammajun L Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Rajarshi Guha
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Li Tang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Michael Geitner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Manish Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802;
| | - Thomas K Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
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31
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Zhang X, Ma J, Tang CY, Wang Z, Ng HY, Wu Z. Antibiofouling Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membrane Modified by Quaternary Ammonium Compound: Direct Contact-Killing versus Induced Indirect Contact-Killing. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:5086-93. [PMID: 27104660 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Widespread applications of membrane technology call for the development of antibiofouling membranes. For the traditional contact-killing strategy, the antibacterial action is restricted to the surface: the membrane loses its antibiofouling efficacy once its surface is completely covered with a fouling layer. However, in this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membranes blended with quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) exhibited a surprisingly lasting antimicrobial activity in the vicinity of the membrane surface. The results indicated that QAC was capable of driving surface segregation with a high structural stability, and the QAC modified membrane shows clear antibacterial effects against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Covering the modified membrane surface by an abiotic alginate layer resulted in a loss of antibacterial efficiency by 86.2%. In contrast, the antibacterial efficiency was maintained after developing a biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus of 30 μm in thickness. The current study may suggest that bacteria affected by contact-killing might interact with other bacteria in the vicinity, resulting in retarded biofilm growth. The antibiofouling effect and associated mechanism of the QAC modified membrane were further validated in a membrane bioreactor during long-term operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University , 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jinxing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University , 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University , 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - How Yong Ng
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore , 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Zhichao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University , 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
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