Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026
07:59
Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors
Published on: December 6, 2018
Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification: diversity, biochemistry, and engineering applications
Ming-Fei Shao1, Tong Zhang, Herbert Han-Ping Fang
1Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, SAR, China.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|September 3, 2010
Summary
Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification, a microbial process using sulfur compounds to remove nitrate, is diverse and found in many environments. This process is also valuable for environmental engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification couples nitrate removal with sulfur oxidation.
- First described in 1904 with Thiobacillus denitrificans, this process involves diverse microorganisms.
- Autotrophic denitrifiers are found in various ecosystems, from deep-sea vents to soils.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent research on sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification.
- To highlight the diversity of microorganisms involved.
- To discuss the metabolic traits and engineering applications of this process.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific publications.
- Analysis of identified microbial species and their habitats.
- Examination of environmental engineering applications.
Main Results:
- 14 valid species within Proteobacteria are known to perform autotrophic denitrification.
- These microorganisms inhabit a wide range of ecosystems.
- The process has significant applications in environmental engineering.
Conclusions:
- Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification is a widespread and diverse microbial process.
- It plays a crucial role in nitrogen cycling in various environments.
- Its application in environmental engineering for water remediation is significant.
More Related Videos
08:05Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
Published on: October 7, 2020
15:19Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
Related Concept Videos
01:28Microbial Nutrition
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
01:15Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Chemolithotrophs are microorganisms that obtain energy by oxidizing inorganic molecules such as hydrogen gas (H₂), ammonia (NH₃), reduced sulfur compounds (H₂S, S²⁻), and ferrous iron (Fe²⁺). Unlike heterotrophic organisms that rely on organic carbon, chemolithotrophs transfer electrons from these inorganic donors to the electron transport chain (ETC), generating a proton motive force (PMF) that drives ATP synthesis through oxidative phosphorylation. However, because inorganic electron donors...
01:20Sulfur Assimilation
Sulfur is an essential element in biological systems, contributing to synthesizing key biomolecules, including amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, and cofactors such as coenzyme A and biotin. Microorganisms primarily assimilate sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻) from the environment, which must undergo a series of biochemical transformations before it can be incorporated into cellular components. As sulfate is highly oxidized, it must undergo assimilatory sulfate reduction to become...
01:26Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle is a complex biogeochemical process critical to maintaining the balance of nitrogenous compounds in ecosystems. This cycle involves multiple microbial-mediated transformations through which nitrogen changes oxidation states, supporting essential ecological functions and contributing to plant and microbial growth.Nitrogen Fixation and AmmonificationNitrogen fixation initiates the cycle by converting inert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable ammonia (NH₃), a process...
01:29Microbes and the Sulfur Cycle
Sulfur is a vital element in Earth's biogeochemical systems. It transitions through various inorganic states, including sulfate (SO₄²⁻), elemental sulfur (S⁰), and sulfide (S²⁻). Abiotic and biological mechanisms across oxic and anoxic environments intricately mediate these transformations. Sulfate, the most oxidized form of sulfur, is predominantly stored in rocks, marine sediments, and oceanic waters, acting as a long-term reservoir in the global sulfur cycle.In oxic environments,...
01:30Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.