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Atasoy M, Scott WT, Regueira A, Mauricio-Iglesias M, Schaap PJ, Smidt H. Biobased short chain fatty acid production - Exploring microbial community dynamics and metabolic networks through kinetic and microbial modeling approaches. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108363. [PMID: 38657743 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing interest in harnessing anaerobic digestion technology for resource recovery from waste streams. This approach has evolved beyond its traditional role in energy generation to encompass the production of valuable carboxylic acids, especially volatile fatty acids (VFAs) like acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. VFAs hold great potential for various industries and biobased applications due to their versatile properties. Despite increasing global demand, over 90% of VFAs are currently produced synthetically from petrochemicals. Realizing the potential of large-scale biobased VFA production from waste streams offers significant eco-friendly opportunities but comes with several key challenges. These include low VFA production yields, unstable acid compositions, complex and expensive purification methods, and post-processing needs. Among these, production yield and acid composition stand out as the most critical obstacles impacting economic viability and competitiveness. This paper seeks to offer a comprehensive view of combining complementary modeling approaches, including kinetic and microbial modeling, to understand the workings of microbial communities and metabolic pathways in VFA production, enhance production efficiency, and regulate acid profiles through the integration of omics and bioreactor data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Atasoy
- UNLOCK, Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology, Wageningen and Delft, the Netherlands; Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - William T Scott
- UNLOCK, Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology, Wageningen and Delft, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Alberte Regueira
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Center for Advanced Process Technology for Urban Resource Recovery (CAPTURE), Frieda Saeysstraat 1, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Miguel Mauricio-Iglesias
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Peter J Schaap
- UNLOCK, Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology, Wageningen and Delft, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Hauke Smidt
- UNLOCK, Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology, Wageningen and Delft, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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2
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Perez-Esteban N, Vives-Egea J, Peces M, Dosta J, Astals S. Temperature-driven carboxylic acid production from waste activated sludge and food waste: Co-fermentation performance and microbial dynamics. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 178:176-185. [PMID: 38401431 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
This work aims to improve the continuous co-fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) and food waste (FW) by investigating the long-term impact of temperature on fermentation performance and the underpinning microbial community. Acidogenic co-fermentation of WAS and FW (70:30 % VS-basis) to produce volatile fatty acids (VFA) was studied in continuous fermenters at different temperatures (25, 35, 45, 55 °C) at an organic loading rate of 11 gVS/(L·d) and a hydraulic retention time of 3.5 days. Two batches of WAS (A and B) were collected from the same wastewater treatment plant at different periods to understand the impact of the WAS microbioota on the fermenters' microbial communities. Solubilisation yield was higher at 45 °C (575 ± 68 mgCOD/gVS) followed by 55 °C (508 ± 45 mgCOD/gVS). Fermentation yield was higher at 55 °C (425 ± 28 mgCOD/gVS) followed by 35 °C (327 ± 17 mgCOD/gVS). Temperature also had a noticeable impact on the VFA profile. At 55 °C, acetic (40 %) and butyric (40 %) acid dominated, while acetic (37 %), butyric acid (31 %), and propionic acid (17 %) dominated at 35 °C. At 45 °C, an accumulation of caproic acid was detected which did not occur at other temperatures. Each temperature had a distinct microbial community, where the WAS microbiota played an important role. The biomass mass-balance showed the highest growth of microorganisms (51 %) at 35 °C and WAS_B, where a consumption of acetic acid was observed. Therefore, at 35 °C, there is a higher risk of acetic acid consumption probably due to the proliferation of methanogens imported from WAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Perez-Esteban
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Vives-Egea
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Peces
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Dosta
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Astals
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Ariyadasa S, Taylor W, Weaver L, McGill E, Billington C, Pattis I. Nonbacterial Microflora in Wastewater Treatment Plants: an Underappreciated Potential Source of Pathogens. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0048123. [PMID: 37222623 PMCID: PMC10269893 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00481-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) receive and treat large volumes of domestic, industrial, and urban wastewater containing pathogenic and nonpathogenic microorganisms, chemical compounds, heavy metals, and other potentially hazardous substances. WWTPs play an essential role in preserving human, animal, and environmental health by removing many of these toxic and infectious agents, particularly biological hazards. Wastewater contains complex consortiums of bacterial, viral, archaeal, and eukaryotic species, and while bacteria in WWTP have been extensively studied, the temporal and spatial distribution of nonbacterial microflora (viruses, archaea, and eukaryotes) is less understood. In this study, we analyzed the viral, archaeal, and eukaryotic microflora in wastewater throughout a treatment plant (raw influent, effluent, oxidation pond water, and oxidation pond sediment) in Aotearoa (New Zealand) using Illumina shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Our results suggest a similar trend across many taxa, with an increase in relative abundance in oxidation pond samples compared to influent and effluent samples, except for archaea, which had the opposite trend. Additionally, some microbial families, such as Podoviridae bacteriophages and Apicomplexa alveolates, appeared largely unaffected by the treatment process, with their relative abundance remaining stable throughout. Several groups encompassing pathogenic species, such as Leishmania, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Apicomplexa, Cryptococcus, Botrytis, and Ustilago, were identified. If present, these potentially pathogenic species could be a threat to human and animal health and agricultural productivity; therefore, further investigation is warranted. These nonbacterial pathogens should be considered when assessing the potential for vector transmission, distribution of biosolids to land, and discharge of treated wastewater to waterways or land. IMPORTANCE Nonbacterial microflora in wastewater remain understudied compared to their bacterial counterparts despite their importance in the wastewater treatment process. In this study, we report the temporal and spatial distributions of DNA viruses, archaea, protozoa, and fungi in raw wastewater influent, effluent, oxidation pond water, and oxidation pond sediments by using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Our study indicated the presence of groups of nonbacterial taxa which encompass pathogenic species that may have potential to cause disease in humans, animals, and agricultural crops. We also observed higher alpha diversity in viruses, archaea, and fungi in effluent samples than in influent samples. This suggests that the resident microflora in the wastewater treatment plant may be making a greater contribution to the diversity of taxa observed in wastewater effluent than previously thought. This study provides important insights to better understand the potential human, animal, and environmental health impacts of discharged treated wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujani Ariyadasa
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - William Taylor
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Louise Weaver
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Erin McGill
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Craig Billington
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Isabelle Pattis
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Amoah ID, Kumari S, Bux F. A probabilistic assessment of microbial infection risks due to occupational exposure to wastewater in a conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plant. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:156849. [PMID: 35728649 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to pathogens during wastewater treatment could result in significant health risks. In this paper, a probabilistic approach for assessing the risks of microbial infection for workers in an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant is presented. A number of exposure routes were modelled, including hand-to-mouth and droplet ingestion of untreated wastewater, droplet ingestion and inhalation of aerosols after secondary treatment, and ingestion of sludge during drying. Almost all workers exposed to untreated wastewater could be infected with the three selected potential pathogens of pathogenic E. coli, Norovirus and Cryptosporidium spp. Hand-to-mouth ingestion is the single most significant route of exposure at the head of works. There is also a risk of infections resulting from ingestion of droplets or inhalation of aerosols at the aeration tanks or contaminated hands at the clarifiers during secondary wastewater treatment. For sludge, the risks of infection with Norovirus was found to be the highest due to accidental ingestion (median risks of 2.2 × 10-2(±3.3 × 10-3)). Regardless of the point and route of exposure, Norovirus and Cryptosporidium spp. presented the highest risks. The study finds that occupational exposure to wastewater at wastewater treatment plants can result in significant viral and protozoan infections. This risk assessment framework can be used to establish and measure the success of risk reduction measures in wastewater treatment plants. These measures could include the use of personal protective equipment and adherence to strict personal hygiene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Dennis Amoah
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, P.O. Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Sheena Kumari
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, P.O. Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Faizal Bux
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, P.O. Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa.
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High-Throughput Microbial Community Analyses to Establish a Natural Fungal and Bacterial Consortium from Sewage Sludge Enriched with Three Pharmaceutical Compounds. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8070668. [PMID: 35887425 PMCID: PMC9324927 DOI: 10.3390/jof8070668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging and unregulated contaminants end up in soils via stabilized/composted sewage sludges, paired with possible risks associated with the development of microbial resistance to antimicrobial agents or an imbalance in the microbial communities. An enrichment experiment was performed, fortifying the sewage sludge with carbamazepine, ketoprofen and diclofenac as model compounds, with the aim to obtain strains with the capability to transform these pollutants. Culturable microorganisms were obtained at the end of the experiment. Among fungi, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Alternaria alternata and Penicillium raistrickii showed remarkable degradation rates. Population shifts in bacterial and fungal communities were also studied during the selective pressure using Illumina MiSeq. These analyses showed a predominance of Ascomycota (Dothideomycetes and Aspergillaceae) and Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, suggesting the possibility of selecting native microorganisms to carry out bioremediation processes using tailored techniques.
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6
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Werner KA, Schneider D, Poehlein A, Diederich N, Feyen L, Axtmann K, Hübner T, Brüggemann N, Prost K, Daniel R, Grohmann E. Metagenomic Insights Into the Changes of Antibiotic Resistance and Pathogenicity Factor Pools Upon Thermophilic Composting of Human Excreta. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:826071. [PMID: 35432262 PMCID: PMC9009411 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.826071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In times of climate change, practicing a form of sustainable, climate-resilient and productive agriculture is of primordial importance. Compost could be one form of sustainable fertilizer, which is increasing humus, water holding capacity, and nutrient contents of soils. It could thereby strengthen agriculture toward the adverse effects of climate change, especially when additionally combined with biochar. To get access to sufficient amounts of suitable materials for composting, resources, which are currently treated as waste, such as human excreta, could be a promising option. However, the safety of the produced compost regarding human pathogens, pharmaceuticals (like antibiotics) and related resistance genes must be considered. In this context, we have investigated the effect of 140- and 154-days of thermophilic composting on the hygienization of human excreta and saw dust from dry toilets together with straw and green cuttings with and without addition of biochar. Compost samples were taken at the beginning and end of the composting process and metagenomic analysis was conducted to assess the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and pathogenicity factors of the microbial community over composting. Potential ARGs conferring resistance to major classes of antibiotics, such as beta-lactam antibiotics, vancomycin, the MLSB group, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines and quinolones were detected in all samples. However, relative abundance of ARGs decreased from the beginning to the end of composting. This trend was also found for genes encoding type III, type IV, and type VI secretion systems, that are involved in pathogenicity, protein effector transport into eukaryotic cells and horizontal gene transfer between bacteria, respectively. The results suggest that the occurrence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms harboring ARGs declines during thermophilic composting. Nevertheless, ARG levels did not decline below the detection limit of quantitative PCR (qPCR). Thresholds for the usage of compost regarding acceptable resistance gene levels are yet to be evaluated and defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina A. Werner
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Berliner Hochschule für Technik, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominik Schneider
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nina Diederich
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Berliner Hochschule für Technik, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lara Feyen
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Berliner Hochschule für Technik, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Axtmann
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Hübner
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH—Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicolas Brüggemann
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences—Agrosphere (IBG-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Katharina Prost
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences—Agrosphere (IBG-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Grohmann
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Berliner Hochschule für Technik, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Elisabeth Grohmann,
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7
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Kim NK, Lee SH, Kim Y, Park HD. Current understanding and perspectives in anaerobic digestion based on genome-resolved metagenomic approaches. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 344:126350. [PMID: 34813924 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a technique that can be used to treat high concentrations of various organic wastes using a consortium of functionally diverse microorganisms under anaerobic conditions. Methane gas, a beneficial by-product of the AD process, is a renewable energy source that can replace fossil fuels following purification. However, detailed functional roles and metabolic interactions between microbial populations involved in organic waste removal and methanogenesis are yet to be known. Recent metagenomic approaches based on advanced high-throughput sequencing techniques have enabled the exploration of holistic microbial taxonomy and functionality of complex microbial populations involved in the AD process. Gene-centric and genome-centric analyses based on metagenome-assembled genomes are a platform that can be used to study the composition of microbial communities and their roles during AD. This review looks at how these up-to-date metagenomic analyses can be applied to promote our understanding and improved the development of the AD process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na-Kyung Kim
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang-Hoon Lee
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yonghoon Kim
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hee-Deung Park
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
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8
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Garner E, Davis BC, Milligan E, Blair MF, Keenum I, Maile-Moskowitz A, Pan J, Gnegy M, Liguori K, Gupta S, Prussin AJ, Marr LC, Heath LS, Vikesland PJ, Zhang L, Pruden A. Next generation sequencing approaches to evaluate water and wastewater quality. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 194:116907. [PMID: 33610927 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of next generation sequencing (NGS) is revolutionizing the potential to address complex microbiological challenges in the water industry. NGS technologies can provide holistic insight into microbial communities and their functional capacities in water and wastewater systems, thus eliminating the need to develop a new assay for each target organism or gene. However, several barriers have hampered wide-scale adoption of NGS by the water industry, including cost, need for specialized expertise and equipment, challenges with data analysis and interpretation, lack of standardized methods, and the rapid pace of development of new technologies. In this critical review, we provide an overview of the current state of the science of NGS technologies as they apply to water, wastewater, and recycled water. In addition, a systematic literature review was conducted in which we identified over 600 peer-reviewed journal articles on this topic and summarized their contributions to six key areas relevant to the water and wastewater fields: taxonomic classification and pathogen detection, functional and catabolic gene characterization, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiling, bacterial toxicity characterization, Cyanobacteria and harmful algal bloom identification, and virus characterization. For each application, we have presented key trends, noteworthy advancements, and proposed future directions. Finally, key needs to advance NGS technologies for broader application in water and wastewater fields are assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Garner
- Wadsworth Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Virginia University, 1306 Evansdale Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505, United States.
| | - Benjamin C Davis
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Erin Milligan
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Matthew Forrest Blair
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Ishi Keenum
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Ayella Maile-Moskowitz
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Jin Pan
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Mariah Gnegy
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Krista Liguori
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Suraj Gupta
- The Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Aaron J Prussin
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Linsey C Marr
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Lenwood S Heath
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, 225 Stranger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Peter J Vikesland
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Liqing Zhang
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, 225 Stranger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Amy Pruden
- Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
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Gayathri KV, Aishwarya S, Kumar PS, Rajendran UR, Gunasekaran K. Metabolic and molecular modelling of zebrafish gut biome to unravel antimicrobial peptides through metagenomics. Microb Pathog 2021; 154:104862. [PMID: 33781870 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Recently efforts have been taken for unravelling mysteries between host-microbe interactions in gut microbiome studies of model organisms through metagenomics. Co-existence and the co-evolution of the microorganisms is the significant cause of the growing antimicrobial menace. There needs a novel approach to develop potential antimicrobials with capabilities to act directly on the resistant microbes with reduced side effects. One such is to tap them from the natural resources, preferably the gut of the most closely related animal model. In this study, we employed metagenomics approaches to identify the large taxonomic genomes of the zebra fish gut. About 256 antimicrobial peptides were identified using gene ontology predictions from Macrel and Pubseed servers. Upon the property predictions, the top 10 antimicrobial peptides were screened based on their action against many resistant bacterial species, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Bacillus cereus. Metabolic modelling and flux balance analysis (FBA) were computed to conclude the antibiotic such as tetracycline, cephalosporins, puromycin, neomycin biosynthesis pathways were adopted by the microbiome as protection strategies. Molecular modelling strategies, including molecular docking and dynamics, were performed to estimate the antimicrobial peptides' binding against the target-putative nucleic acid binding lipoprotein and confirm stable binding. One specific antimicrobial peptide with the sequence "MPPYLHEIQPHTASNCQTELVIKL" showed promising results with 53% hydrophobic residues and a net charge +2.5, significant for the development of antimicrobial peptides. The said peptide also showed promising interactions with the target protein and expressed stable binding with docking energy of -429.34 kcal/mol and the average root mean square deviation of 1 A0. The study is a novel approach focusing on tapping out potential antimicrobial peptides to be developed against most resistant bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Veena Gayathri
- Department of Bioinformatics, Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai, 600086, India.
| | - S Aishwarya
- Department of Biotechnology, Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai, 600086, India; CAS in Crystallography and Biophysics, University of Madras, Chennai, 600025, India
| | - P Senthil Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, Chennai, 603 110, India.
| | - U Rohini Rajendran
- Department of Bioinformatics, Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai, 600086, India
| | - K Gunasekaran
- CAS in Crystallography and Biophysics, University of Madras, Chennai, 600025, India
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10
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Analysis of Microbial Communities and Pathogen Detection in Domestic Sewage Using Metagenomic Sequencing. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d13010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Wastewater contains diverse microbes, and regular microbiological screening at wastewater treatment plants is essential for monitoring the wastewater treatment and protecting environmental health. In this study, a metagenomic approach was used to characterize the microbial communities in the influent and effluent of a conventional domestic sewage treatment plant in the metropolitan city of Jeddah. Bacteria were the prevalent type of microbe in both the influent and effluent, whereas archaea and viruses were each detected at <1% abundance. Greater diversity was observed in effluent bacterial populations compared with influent, despite containing similar major taxa. These taxa consisted primarily of Proteobacteria, followed by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Metagenomic analysis provided broad profiles of 87 pathogenic/opportunistic bacteria belonging to 47 distinct genera in the domestic sewage samples, with most having <1% abundance. The archaea community included 20 methanogenic genera. The virus-associated sequences were classified mainly into the families Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, and Podoviridae. Genes related to resistance to antibiotics and toxic compounds, gram-negative cell wall components, and flagellar motility in prokaryotes identified in metagenomes from both types of samples. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of microbial communities in influent and effluent samples of a conventional domestic sewage treatment plant and suggests that metagenomic analysis is a feasible approach for microbiological monitoring of wastewater treatment.
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11
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Raiger Iustman LJ, Almasqué FJ, Vullo DL. Microbiota Diversity Change as Quality Indicator of Soils Exposed to Intensive Periurban Agriculture. Curr Microbiol 2020; 78:338-346. [PMID: 33249534 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-02298-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In Argentina, periurban agriculture is performed by farmers with inadequate training in the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, developing horticulture with serious soil deterioration. The aim of this work was to monitor bacterial diversity of a horticultural soil (S) and a reference soil (R) as quality index for the design of future restoration strategies. As crops changed together with the agrochemical applications, sample collection was before harvest for strawberries, post-harvest for red peppers, pre-harvest broccoli crop and of a resting soil in treatment with poultry litter as a fertilizing amendment. Bacterial diversity was analysed by the use of high throughput sequencing of the V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Analysis of R soils seemed relatively constant in time, enriched in Alphaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria consistent with a reference to soil health. The effect of the intensive use of S soils was proved by differences in Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria relative abundances. The main evidence of the alteration of S soils was the increase in Bacteroidetes and Betaproteobacteria. A weak recuperation trend of S soil microbiota was registered during a post-harvest inactive period. A strong influence of the soil use routine-consisting in high crop rotation and short time-rest cycles-on microbial community structure was verified. These results indicate the microbiota perturbation, caused by the intense use of periurban agriculture soils and will contribute for further actions to improve environment quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Raiger Iustman
- Depto. de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA), IQUIBICEN-CONICET. Pab. II, Piso 4, Ciudad Universitaria, (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo J Almasqué
- Depto. de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA), IQUIBICEN-CONICET. Pab. II, Piso 4, Ciudad Universitaria, (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diana L Vullo
- Área Química, Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento-CONICET, J.M. Gutierrez 1150, B1613GSX, Los Polvorines, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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12
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Krishnaswamy VG, Aishwarya S, Kathawala TM. Extrication of the Microbial Interactions of Activated Sludge Used in the Textile Effluent Treatment of Anaerobic Reactor Through Metagenomic Profiling. Curr Microbiol 2020; 77:2496-2509. [DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-02020-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Fernandez M, Pereira PP, Agostini E, González PS. How the bacterial community of a tannery effluent responds to bioaugmentation with the consortium SFC 500-1. Impact of environmental variables. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 247:46-56. [PMID: 31229785 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.06.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Bioaugmentation with the consortium SFC 500-1 is a promising alternative to remediate wastewaters, such as tannery effluents. With the aim of assessing the changes produced in response to bioaugmentation, bacterial 16S rDNA genes were sequenced with Illumina MiSeq Platform. Additionally, bacterial and fungal groups were analyzed through standard culture dependent methods. The impact of diverse physico-chemical and microbiological parameters on the prokaryotic diversity was also evaluated throughout. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, represented together up to 91% of the total number of sequences obtained from the tannery effluent. Diversity decreased immediately after inoculation, due to an increase in the representation of the taxa to which the added consortium belongs. However, bioaugmentation produced no greater variations since only a 10% of unique operational taxonomic units were found in the inoculated treatment. An increase in the abundance of Myroides and a reduction in the representation of Proteiniclasticum and Halomonas were major observed variations. On the other hand, pH and dissolved oxygen constituted main environmental factors affecting the structure of the prokaryotic communities. In all treatments yeasts increased over time, to the detriment of filamentous fungi. Together, data from this report may contribute to the development of improved bioremediation strategies of industrial wastewaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilina Fernandez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, FCEFQyN, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina; CONICET, UNRC, Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud (INBIAS), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Paola P Pereira
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, FCEFQyN, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina; CONICET, UNRC, Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud (INBIAS), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Elizabeth Agostini
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, FCEFQyN, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina; CONICET, UNRC, Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud (INBIAS), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Paola S González
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, FCEFQyN, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina; CONICET, UNRC, Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud (INBIAS), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
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14
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Zhang H, Feng J, Chen S, Zhao Z, Li B, Wang Y, Jia J, Li S, Wang Y, Yan M, Lu K, Hao H. Geographical Patterns of nirS Gene Abundance and nirS-Type Denitrifying Bacterial Community Associated with Activated Sludge from Different Wastewater Treatment Plants. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 77:304-316. [PMID: 30046860 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1236-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Denitrifying bacteria is a driver of nitrogen removal process in wastewater treatment ecosystem. However, the geographical characteristics of denitrifying bacterial communities associated with activated sludge from diverse wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are still unclear. Here, quantitative PCR and next-generation sequencing of the nirS gene were applied to characterize the abundance and denitrifying bacterial communities from 18 geographically distributed WWTPs. The results showed that the nirS abundance ranged from 4.6 × 102 to 2.4 × 103 copies per ng DNA, while nirS-type denitrifying bacterial populations were diverse and distinct from activated sludge communities. Among WWTPs, total nitrogen removal efficiencies varied from 25.8 to 84%, which was positively correlated with diversity indices, whereas abundance-based coverage estimator index decreased with an increase in latitude. The dominant phyla across all samples were proteobacteria, accounting for 46.23% (ranging from 17.98 to 87.07%) of the sequences. Eight of the 22 genera detected were dominant: Thauera sp., Alicycliphilus sp., and Pseudomonas sp., etc. Based on network analysis, the coexistence and interaction between dominant genera may be vital for regulating the nitrogen and carbon removal behaviors. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that both geographic location and wastewater factors concurrently govern the distribution patterns of nirS-type denitrifying bacterial community harbored in WWTPs. Taking together, these results from the present study provide novel insights into the nirS gene abundance and nirS-type denitrifying bacterial community composition in geographically distributed WWTPs. Moreover, the knowledge gained will improve the operation and management of WWTPs for nitrogen removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China.
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China.
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ji Feng
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengnan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenfang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Baoqin Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Guangdong Institute of Eco-environmental Science and Technology, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyu Jia
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Sulin Li
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Miaomiao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Kuanyu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiyan Hao
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Microbial Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, People's Republic of China
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15
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Ravasi D, König R, Principi P, Perale G, Demarta A. Effect of Powdered Activated Carbon as Advanced Step in Wastewater Treatments on Antibiotic Resistant Microorganisms. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2019; 20:63-75. [PMID: 30727884 PMCID: PMC6637097 DOI: 10.2174/1389201020666190207095556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conventional wastewater treatment plants discharge significant amounts of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes into natural water bodies contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Some advanced wastewater treatment technologies have been shown to effectively decrease the number of bacteria. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of knowledge about the effectiveness of these treatments on antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes. To the best of our knowledge, no specific studies have considered how powdered activated carbon (PAC) treatments can act on antibiotic resistant bacteria, although it is essential to assess the impact of this wastewater treatment on the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. METHODS To address this gap, we evaluated the fate and the distribution of fluorescent-tagged antibiotic/ antimycotic resistant microorganisms in a laboratory-scale model simulating a process configuration involving powdered activated carbon as advanced wastewater treatment. Furthermore, we studied the possible increase of naturally existing antibiotic resistant bacteria during the treatment implementing PAC recycling. RESULTS The analysis of fluorescent-tagged microorganisms demonstrated the efficacy of the PAC adsorption treatment in reducing the load of both susceptible and resistant fluorescent microorganisms in the treated water, reaching a removal efficiency of 99.70%. Moreover, PAC recycling did not increase the resistance characteristics of cultivable bacteria neither in the sludge nor in the treated effluent. CONCLUSION Results suggest that wastewater PAC treatment is a promising technology not only for the removal of micropollutants but also for its effect in decreasing antibiotic resistant bacteria release.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Antonella Demarta
- Address correspondence to this author at the Laboratory of applied microbiology, Department of Environment, Construction and Design, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Mirasole 22a, 6501 Bellinzona, Switzerland; E-mail:
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