Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge
Published on: September 26, 2016
Characterization of an acetate-degrading sludge without intracellular accumulation of polyphosphate and glycogen
Herbert H P Fang1, Tong Zhang, Yan Liu
1Department of Civil Engineering, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. hrechef@hkucc.hku.hk
Abstract:
A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated in the conventional anaerobic-aerobic mode for enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) using acetate as the sole substrate. Results showed that, however, the reactor was unable to remove phosphate from wastewater. The sludge containing 1.65% of phosphate did not exhibit the typical characteristics of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO) or glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAO). Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rDNA sequences of individual microorganisms, showed that the microbial community of this acetate-degrading sludge was closely related to Comamonas testosteroni (43.8% of total population) of beta-1-proteobacteria, Zoogloea resiniphila (25.0%) of beta-2-proteobacteria, and Xanthomonas maltophilia (19.8%) of gamma-proteobacteria. Results of this study imply that GAO might not be the sole group of bacteria responsible to the deterioration of phosphate removal efficiency in an EBPR reactor.
Related Concept Videos
Production of Organic Acids
Microbial Bioremediation of Plastics
Lipid Catabolism
Amino Acid Catabolism
Fates of Pyruvate
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...

