Metaproteomics, metagenomics and 16S rRNA sequencing provide different perspectives on the aerobic granular sludge microbiome

The tremendous progress in sequencing technologies has made DNA sequencing routine for microbiome studies. Additionally, advances in mass spectrometric techniques have extended conventional proteomics into the field of microbial ecology. However, systematic studies that provide a better understanding of the complementary nature of these ...

Production of nonulosonic acids in the extracellular polymeric substances of “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis”

Nonulosonic acids (NulOs) are a family of acidic carbohydrates with a nine-carbon backbone, which include different related structures, such as sialic acids. They have mainly been studied for their relevance in animal cells and pathogenic bacteria. Recently, sialic acids have been discovered as an important compound in the extracellular...

Impact of metal ions on structural EPS hydrogels from aerobic granular sludge

Structural extracellular polymeric substances (structural EPS) can form stable hydrogels and are considered to be responsible for the stability of biofilms and aerobic granular sludge. Structural EPS were extracted from aerobic granular sludge and characterized for their gel-forming capacity with different alkaline earth and transition metal...

Tackling the chemical diversity of microbial nonulosonic acids-a universal large-scale survey approach

Nonulosonic acids, commonly referred to as sialic acids, are a highly important group of nine-carbon sugars common to all domains of life. They all share biosynthetic and structural features, but otherwise display a remarkable chemical diversity. In humans, sialic acids cover all cells which makes them important for processes such as cellular...

Decorating the Anammox House: Sialic Acids and Sulfated Glycosaminoglycans in the Extracellular Polymeric Substances of Anammox Granular Sludge

Anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) bacteria are important for the nitrogen cycle in both natural environments and wastewater treatment plants. These bacteria have a strong tendency to grow in aggregates like biofilms and granular sludge. To understand the formation of anammox aggregates, it is required to unravel the composition of the...

Sialic acids: An important family of carbohydrates overlooked in environmental biofilms

Sialic acids in the structural matrix of biofilms developing in engineered water systems constitute a potential target in the battle against biofouling. This report focuses specifically on the presence of sialic acids as part of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of biofilms forming in cooling towers and the potential effect of...