Savanna Smith, Joseph Weaver, Joel Ducoste, and Francis de los Reyes III
Determining whether and when random or deterministic forces more strongly shape a microbial community has its own twists and turns when thinking about engineered bioreactors (wastewater and beyond!), and the answers can shape how we design and operate those systems
Abstract
Microbial community assembly (MCA) processes that shape microbial communities in environments are being used to analyze engineered bioreactors such as activated sludge systems and anaerobic digesters. The goal of studying MCA is to be able to understand and predict the effect of design and operation procedures on bioreactor microbial composition and function. Ultimately, this can lead to bioreactors that are more efficient, resilient, or resistant to perturbations. This review summarizes the ecological theories underpinning MCA, evaluates MCA analysis methods, analyzes how these MCA-based methods are applied to engineered bioreactors, and extracts lessons from case studies. Furthermore, we suggest future directions in MCA research in engineered bioreactor systems. The review aims to provide insights and guidance to the growing number of environmental engineers who wish to design and understand bioreactors through the lens of MCA.
Biblographic Info
(2024) Smith S, Weaver J, Ducoste J, de los Reyes III F “Microbial community assembly in engineered bioreactors”. Water Research, 255:121495 doi:10.1016/j.watres.2024.121495 [bib]