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Syntrophy between fermentative and purple phototrophic bacteria to treat and valorize carbohydrate-rich wastewaters

Cerruti, M. (author), Crosset-Perrotin, G. (author), Ananth, Mythili (author), Rombouts, Julius Laurens (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Fermentative chemoorganoheterotrophic bacteria (FCB) and purple photoorganoheterotrophic bacteria (PPB) are two interesting microbial guilds to process carbohydrate-rich wastewaters. Their metabolic interactions have been studied in pure cultures or co-cultures, but little is known about mixed cultures. We studied the effect of reactor...

journal article 2023

document

Turnover of the extracellular polymeric matrix of granules performing biological phosphate removal

Tomas Martinez, S. (author), Zwolsman, Erwin J. (author), Merlier, Franck (author), Pabst, Martin (author), Lin, Y. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) are responsible for enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) from wastewater, where they grow embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). EPSs comprise a mixture of biopolymers like polysaccharides or (glyco)proteins. Despite previous studies, little is known about the...

journal article 2023

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Microbiome, resistome and mobilome of chlorine-free drinking water treatment systems

Calderon Franco, D. (author), Corbera Rubio, F. (author), Cuesta Sanz, M. (author), Pieterse, Brent (author), de Ridder, David (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), van Halem, D. (author), Laureni, M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are designed to remove physical, chemical, and biological contaminants. However, until recently, the role of DWTPs in minimizing the cycling of antibiotic resistance determinants has got limited attention. In particular, the risk of selecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) is largely overlooked in...

journal article 2023

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Catch me if you can: capturing microbial community transformation by extracellular DNA using Hi-C sequencing

Calderon Franco, D. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Abeel, T.E.P.M.F. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

The transformation of environmental microorganisms by extracellular DNA is an overlooked mechanism of horizontal gene transfer and evolution. It initiates the acquisition of exogenous genes and propagates antimicrobial resistance alongside vertical and conjugative transfers. We combined mixed-culture biotechnology and Hi-C sequencing to...

journal article 2023

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Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in sewage: Toward sentinels with analytical accuracy

Calderon Franco, D. (author), Orschler, Laura (author), Lackner, Susanne (author), Agrawal, Shelesh (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemia has been one of the most difficult challenges humankind has recently faced. Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a tool for surveillance and mitigation of potential viral outbreaks, circumventing biases introduced by clinical patient testing. Due to the situation...

journal article 2022

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Monitoring antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater environments: The challenges of filling a gap in the One-Health cycle

Miłobedzka, Aleksandra (author), Ferreira, Catarina (author), Vaz-Moreira, Ivone (author), Calderon Franco, D. (author), Gorecki, Adrian (author), Purkrtova, Sabina (author), Bartacek, Jan (author), Dziewit, Lukasz (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a global problem requiring international cooperation and coordinated action. Global monitoring must rely on methods available and comparable across nations to quantify AR occurrence and identify sources and reservoirs, as well as paths of AR dissemination. Numerous analytical tools that are gaining relevance in...

review 2022

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Adaptation of anammox bacteria to low temperature via gradual acclimation and cold shocks: Distinctions in protein expression, membrane composition and activities

Kouba, V. (author), D, Vejmelkova (author), E, Zwolsman (author), K, Hurkova (author), K, Navratilova (author), M, Laureni (author), Pabst, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Anammox bacteria enable efficient removal of nitrogen from sewage in processes involving partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A) or nitrification, partial denitrification, and anammox (N-PdN/A). In mild climates, anammox bacteria must be adapted to ≤15 °C, typically by gradual temperature decrease; however, this takes months or years. To...

journal article 2022

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On anammox activity at low temperature: Effect of ladderane composition and process conditions

Kouba, Vojtěch (author), Hůrková, Kamila (author), Navrátilová, Klára (author), Kok, Dana (author), Benáková, Andrea (author), Laureni, M. (author), Vodičková, Patricie (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

The application of partial nitritation-anammox (PN/A) under mainstream conditions can enable substantial cost savings at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), but how process conditions and cell physiology affect anammox performance at psychrophilic temperatures below 15 °C remains poorly understood. We tested 14 anammox communities, including...

journal article 2022

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Metagenomic profiling and transfer dynamics of antibiotic resistance determinants in a full-scale granular sludge wastewater treatment plant

Calderon Franco, D. (author), Sarelse, R.G. (author), Christou, S. (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Abeel, T.E.P.M.F. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

In the One Health context, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are central to safeguarding water resources. Nonetheless, many questions remain about their effectiveness in preventing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination. Most surveillance studies monitor the levels and removal of selected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile...

journal article 2022

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Catabolism of sialic acids in an environmental microbial community

Tomas Martinez, S. (author), Chen, L.M. (author), Neu, Thomas R. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Lin, Y. (author)

Sialic acids are a family of nine-carbon negatively charged carbohydrates. In animals, they are abundant on mucosa surfaces as terminal carbohydrates of mucin glycoproteins. Some commensal and pathogenic bacteria are able to release, take up and catabolize sialic acids. Recently, sialic acids have been discovered to be widespread among most...

journal article 2022

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Exploring the role of antimicrobials in the selective growth of purple phototrophic bacteria through genome mining and agar spot assays

Alloul, A. (author), Van Kampen, W. (author), Cerruti, M. (author), Wittouck, S. (author), Pabst, Martin (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Purple non-sulphur bacteria (PNSB) are an emerging group of microbes attractive for applied microbiology applications such as wastewater treatment, plant biostimulants, microbial protein, polyhydroxyalkanoates and H₂ production. These photoorganoheterotrophic microbes have the unique ability to grow selectively on organic carbon in...

journal article 2022

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Light intensity defines growth and photopigment content of a mixed culture of purple phototrophic bacteria

Cerruti, M. (author), Kim, J.H. (author), Pabst, Martin (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Purple bacteria (PPB), anoxygenic photoorganoheterotrophic organisms with a hyper-versatile metabolism and high biomass yields over substrate, are promising candidates for the recovery of nutrient resources from wastewater. Infrared light is a pivotal parameter to control and design PPB-based resource recovery. However, the effects of light...

journal article 2022

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Enrichment and application of extracellular nonulosonic acids containing polymers of Accumulibacter

Tomas Martinez, S. (author), Chen, Le Min (author), Pabst, Martin (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Lin, Y. (author)

Abstract: Pseudaminic and legionaminic acids are a subgroup of nonulosonic acids (NulOs) unique to bacterial species. There is a lack of advances in the study of these NulOs due to their complex synthesis and production. Recently, it was seen that “Candidatus Accumulibacter” can produce Pse or Leg analogues as part of its extracellular...

journal article 2022

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MiDAS 4: A global catalogue of full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences and taxonomy for studies of bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants

Seviour, R (author), Tooker, Nick (author), Vainio, Pirjo (author), Dueholm, Morten Kam Dahl (author), Nierychlo, Marta (author), Andersen, Kasper Skytte (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author), Rossetti, S (author)

Microbial communities are responsible for biological wastewater treatment, but our knowledge of their diversity and function is still poor. Here, we sequence more than 5 million high-quality, full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences from 740 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the world and use the sequences to construct the ‘MiDAS 4’...

journal article 2022

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Effect of temperature on the compositions of ladderane lipids in globally surveyed anammox populations

Kouba, Vojtěch (author), Hůrková, Kamila (author), Navrátilová, Klára (author), Kok, Dana (author), Benáková, Andrea (author), Laureni, M. (author), van Niftrik, Laura (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

The adaptation of bacteria involved in anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) to low temperatures will enable more efficient removal of nitrogen from sewage across seasons. At lower temperatures, bacteria typically tune the synthesis of their membrane lipids to promote membrane fluidity. However, such adaptation of anammox bacteria lipids,...

journal article 2022

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Got Whey? The significance of cheese whey at the confluence of dairying, environmental impacts, energy and resource biorecovery

Giulianetti de Almeida, M.P. (author), Mockaitis, Gustavo (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

Milk discovery and processing enabled human settling and thriving in various settings. The discovery of cheese led to the production of whey as dairy by-product. Although it can find application in food, beverages, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and medical treatment, cheese whey is a massive dairying residue world-wide (154 Mm3·y-1)...

journal article 2021

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Plant-wide systems microbiology for the wastewater industry

Cerruti, M. (author), Guo, Bing (author), Delatolla, Robert (author), De Jonge, Nadieh (author), Hommes-De Vos Van Steenwijk, Aleida (author), Kadota, Paul (author), Mao, Ted (author), Oosterkamp, Margreet J. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author)

The wastewater treatment sector embraces mixed-culture biotechnologies for sanitation, environmental protection, and resource recovery. Bioprocess design, monitoring and control thrive on microbial processes selected in complex microbial communities. Microbial ecology and systems microbiology help access microbiomes and characterize...

review 2021

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Temperature and Nutrient Limitations Decrease Transfer of Conjugative IncP-1 Plasmid pKJK5 to Wild Escherichia coli Strains

Pallares Vega, R. (author), Macedo, G. (author), Brouwer, Michael S.M. (author), Hernandez Leal, Lucia (author), van der Maas, Peter (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author), Heederik, Dick (author), Mevius, Dik (author), Schmitt, Heike (author)

Plasmid-mediated dissemination of antibiotic resistance among fecal Enterobacteriaceae in natural ecosystems may contribute to the persistence of antibiotic resistance genes in anthropogenically impacted environments. Plasmid transfer frequencies measured under laboratory conditions might lead to overestimation of plasmid transfer potential...

journal article 2021

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Annual dynamics of antimicrobials and resistance determinants in flocculent and aerobic granular sludge treatment systems

Pallares Vega, R. (author), Hernandez Leal, Lucia (author), Fletcher, Benjamin N. (author), Vias-Torres, Eduardo (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author), Schmitt, Heike (author)

The occurrence and removal patterns of 24 antimicrobial agents and antimicrobial resistant determinants namely 6 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and 2 mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and the fecal indicator E. coli were investigated in three full-scale wastewater treatment plants. Their waterlines and biosolids lines (including secondary...

journal article 2021

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Operational Strategies to Selectively Produce Purple Bacteria for Microbial Protein in Raceway Reactors

Alloul, A. (author), Cerruti, M. (author), Adamczyk, Damian (author), Weissbrodt, D.G. (author), Vlaeminck, Siegfried E. (author)

Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) show potential for microbial protein production on wastewater as animal feed. They offer good selectivity (i.e., low microbial diversity and high abundance of one species) when grown anaerobically in the light. However, the cost of closed anaerobic photobioreactors is prohibitive for protein production....

journal article 2021