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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Aerobic and anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria--competitors or natural partners?
Ingo Schmidt1, Olav Sliekers, Markus Schmid
1University of Nijmegen, Department of Microbiology, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands. i.schmidt@sci.kun.nl
Abstract:
The biological nitrogen cycle is a complex interplay between many microorganisms catalyzing different reactions. For a long time, ammonia and nitrite oxidation by chemolithoautotrophic nitrifiers were thought to be restricted to oxic environments and the metabolic flexibility of these organisms seemed to be limited. The discovery of a novel pathway for anaerobic ammonia oxidation by Planctomyces (anammox) and the finding of an anoxic metabolism by 'classical'Nitrosomonas-like organisms showed that this is no longer valid. The aim of this review is to summarize these novel findings in nitrogen conversion and to discuss the ecological importance of these processes.
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