Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
14:04
Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
Published on: May 8, 2013
Evidence for bacteriophage activity causing community and performance changes in a phosphorus-removal activated
Jeremy J Barr1, Frances R Slater, Toshikazu Fukushima
1Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC), The University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
|October 2, 2010
Summary
Bacteriophage infections unexpectedly reduced phosphorus removal in wastewater treatment by targeting Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis. Recovery varied, highlighting bacteriophage impact on microbial communities and wastewater treatment efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Wastewater treatment
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- Bacteria are crucial for biogeochemical cycles and biotechnology.
- The role of bacteriophages in these processes is poorly understood.
- Studying host-bacteriophage interactions is challenging due to difficulties in obtaining pure cultures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cause of a decline in phosphorus removal in a wastewater treatment reactor.
- To determine the role of bacteriophage infection in the performance of activated sludge communities.
- To understand the impact of bacteriophage on the abundance of Candidatus 'Accumulibacter phosphatis'.
Main Methods:
- Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
- Proteomics
- Bacteriophage inoculation experiments
Main Results:
- A bacteriophage infection of Candidatus 'Accumulibacter phosphatis' was hypothesized as the cause of performance decline.
- Addition of bacteriophage-rich supernatant decreased Accumulibacter abundance in both granular and floccular sludges.
- Granular sludge did not recover, while floccular sludge regained Accumulibacter and phosphorus removal capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Bacteriophages can significantly impact the performance of wastewater treatment systems.
- The susceptibility and recovery of microbial communities to bacteriophage attack vary.
- Bacteriophages are key players in structuring bacterial communities and influencing functions in activated sludge.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Bacteriophages of the Human Virome
Bacteriophages are found throughout the human body. They may even outnumber eukaryotic viruses, forming an important and dynamic component of the human virome. Indeed, phages represent the most abundant viral entities, with densities in the gut reaching up to 10⁹ particles per gram of fecal matter, and many belonging to orders such as Caudovirales and Microviridae, while a substantial proportion remains unclassified as viral “dark matter.”Lysogeny and Genetic ExchangeIn the gut, bacteriophages...
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.