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Anionic extracellular polymeric substances extracted from seawater-adapted aerobic granular sludge

Chen, L.M. (author), Beck, Paula (author), van Ede, J.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Lin, Y. (author)

Abstract: Anionic polymers, such as heparin, have been widely applied in the chemical and medical fields, particularly for binding proteins (e.g., fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and histones). However, the current animal-based production of heparin brings great risks, including resource shortages and product contamination. Recently,...

journal article 2024

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Demystifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms relevant to wastewater treatment: A review of their phylogeny, metabolism, and detection

Ruiz Hadad, L. (author), Ali, Muhammad (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Saikaly, Pascal E. (author)

Currently, the most cost-effective and efficient method for phosphorus (P) removal from wastewater is enhanced biological P removal (EPBR) via polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs). This study integrates a literature review with genomic analysis to uncover the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of the relevant PAOs for wastewater...

review 2024

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The water-soluble fraction of extracellular polymeric substances from a resource recovery demonstration plant: characterization and potential application as an adhesive

Chen, Le Min (author), Erol, Özlem (author), Choi, Young Hae (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Lin, Y. (author)

Currently, there is a growing interest in transforming wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) into resource recovery plants. Microorganisms in aerobic granular sludge produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which are considered sustainable resources to be extracted and can be used in diverse applications. Exploring applications in other...

journal article 2024

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Alterations of Glycan Composition in Aerobic Granular Sludge during the Adaptation to Seawater Conditions

Chen, L.M. (author), Keisham, Sunanda (author), Tateno, Hiroaki (author), van Ede, J.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Lin, Y. (author)

Bacteria can synthesize a diverse array of glycans, being found attached to proteins and lipids or as loosely associated polysaccharides to the cells. The major challenge in glycan analysis in environmental samples lies in developing high-throughput and comprehensive characterization methodologies to elucidate the structure and monitor the...

journal article 2023

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Performance Evaluation of a Pilot-Scale Aerobic Granular Sludge Integrated with Gravity-Driven Membrane System Treating Domestic Wastewater

Ali, Muhammad (author), Singh, Yogesh (author), Fortunato, Luca (author), Rehman, Zahid Ur (author), Manjunath, Sarvajith (author), Vrouwenvelder, J.S. (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Saikaly, Pascal E. (author)

This study describes a novel integration of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) with a gravity-driven membrane (GDM) system at a pilot scale with a treatment capacity of approximately 150 L per day to treat raw domestic wastewater. The treatment performance and energy consumption of the AGS-GDM system were compared to the neighboring full-scale...

journal article 2023

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Aerobic granular sludge

Pronk, M. (author), van Dijk, E.J.H. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author)

book chapter 2023

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Sialylation and Sulfation of Anionic Glycoconjugates Are Common in the Extracellular Polymeric Substances of Both Aerobic and Anaerobic Granular Sludges

Chen, L.M. (author), de Bruin, S. (author), Pronk, M. (author), Sousa, Diana Z. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Lin, Y. (author)

Anaerobic and aerobic granular sludge processes are widely applied in wastewater treatment. In these systems, microorganisms grow in dense aggregates due to the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). This study investigates the sialylation and sulfation of anionic glyconconjugates in anaerobic and aerobic granular sludges...

journal article 2023

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Aerobic granular sludge phosphate removal using glucose

Elahinik, A. (author), Li, L.H (author), Pabst, Martin (author), Abbas, B.A. (author), Xevgenos, Dimitris (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author)

Enhanced biological phosphate removal and aerobic sludge granulation are commonly studied with fatty acids as substrate. Fermentative substrates such as glucose have received limited attention. In this work, glucose conversion by aerobic granular sludge and its impact on phosphate removal was studied. Long-term stable phosphate removal and...

journal article 2023

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

Kleikamp, H.B.C. (author), Grouzdev, Denis (author), Schaasberg, P. (author), van Valderen, R.D. (author), van der Zwaan, R. (author), van de Wijgaart, R. (author), Lin, Y. (author), Abbas, B.A. (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pabst, Martin (author)

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 ...

journal article 2023

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Impact of the anaerobic feeding mode on substrate distribution in aerobic granular sludge

Haaksman, V.A. (author), Schouteren, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author)

There is a growing interest to implement aerobic granular sludge (AGS) in existing conventional activated sludge (CAS) systems with a continuous flow-through configuration. The mode of anaerobic contact of raw sewage with the sludge is an important aspect in the adaptation of CAS systems to accommodate AGS. It remains unclear how the...

journal article 2023

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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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Glycerol conversion by Aerobic Granular Sludge

Elahinik, A. (author), Haarsma, M.N. (author), Abbas, B.A. (author), Pabst, Martin (author), Xevgenos, Dimitris (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author)

Glycerol is abundantly present in wastewater from industries such as biodiesel production facilities. Glycerol is also a potential carbon source for microbes that are involved in wastewater nutrient removal processes. The conversion of glycerol in biological phosphorus removal of aerobic granular sludge processes has not been explored to date....

journal article 2022

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Density measurements of aerobic granular sludge

van den Berg, L. (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), de Kreuk, M.K. (author)

Granular sludge processes are frequently used in domestic and industrial wastewater treatment. The granule buoyant density and biomass density are important parameters for the design and operation of granular sludge reactors. Different methods to measure the granule density include the pycnometer method, the Percoll density gradient method,...

journal article 2022

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On the mechanisms for aerobic granulation - model based evaluation

van Dijk, E.J.H. (author), Haaksman, V.A. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author)

In this study a mathematical framework was developed to describe aerobic granulation based on 6 main mechanisms: microbial selection, selective wasting, maximizing transport of substrate into the biofilm, selective feeding, substrate type and breakage. A numerical model was developed using four main components; a 1D convection/dispersion...

journal article 2022

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Full-scale aerobic granular sludge for municipal wastewater treatment - granule formation, microbial succession, and process performance

Ekholm, Jennifer (author), Persson, Frank (author), de Blois, Mark (author), Modin, Oskar (author), Pronk, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Suarez, Carolina (author), Gustavsson, David J.I. (author), Wilén, Britt Marie (author)

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) plants have gained growing interest and application due to their low energy demand, small footprint, and low operational costs. However, the fulfilment of strict discharge limits for nitrogen and phosphorus, vast seasonal temperature variations, and large peaks in influent flows may pose challenges to the...

journal article 2022

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Nitrous oxide emission from full-scale municipal aerobic granular sludge

van Dijk, E.J.H. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author)

The nitrous oxides emission was measured over 7 months in the full-scale aerobic granular sludge plant in Dinxperlo, the Netherlands. Nitrous oxide concentrations were measured in the bulk liquid and the off-gas of the Nereda® reactor. Combined with the batch wise operation of the reactor, this gave a high information density and a better...

journal article 2021

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Nanocellulose recovery from domestic wastewater

Pereira Espíndola, S. (author), Pronk, M. (author), Zlopasa, J. (author), Picken, S.J. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author)

Wastewater solids could be an attractive source of secondary raw cellulose, mainly originating from toilet paper. Cellulose can be recovered through sieving of raw wastewater, return sludge, or excess sludge. In particular, a large fraction of cellulose (13–15%) can be found in the excess sludge of the aerobic granular sludge produced by the...

journal article 2021

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Impact of aerobic availability of readily biodegradable COD on morphological stability of aerobic granular sludge

Haaksman, V.A. (author), Mirghorayshi, M. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pronk, M. (author)

Operational disturbances in aerobic granular sludge (AGS) systems can result in aerobic availability of readily biodegradable COD (rbCOD). Different from activated sludge, morphological consequences on the short and long term are not well described in literature. This study investigated the effect of incomplete anaerobic uptake of acetate on...

journal article 2020

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“Candidatus Galacturonibacter soehngenii” Shows Acetogenic Catabolism of Galacturonic Acid but Lacks a Canonical Carbon Monoxide Dehydrogenase/Acetyl-CoA Synthase Complex

Valk, L.C. (author), Diender, Martijn (author), Stouten, G.R. (author), Petersen, Jette F. (author), Nielsen, Per H. (author), Dueholm, Morten S. (author), Pronk, J.T. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author)

Acetogens have the ability to fixate carbon during fermentation by employing the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP), which is highly conserved across Bacteria and Archaea. In a previous study, product stoichometries in galacturonate-limited, anaerobic enrichment cultures of “Candidatus Galacturonibacter soehngenii,” from a novel genus within the...

journal article 2020

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A Novel D-Galacturonate Fermentation Pathway in Lactobacillus suebicus Links Initial Reactions of the Galacturonate-Isomerase Route With the Phosphoketolase Pathway

Valk, L.C. (author), Luttik, M.A.H. (author), de Ram, C. (author), Pabst, Martin (author), van den Broek, M.A. (author), van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (author), Pronk, J.T. (author)

D-galacturonate, a key constituent of pectin, is a ubiquitous monomer in plant biomass. Anaerobic, fermentative conversion of D-galacturonate is therefore relevant in natural environments as well as in microbial processes for microbial conversion of pectin-containing agricultural residues. In currently known microorganisms that anaerobically...

journal article 2020