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Updated: May 17, 2026

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Published on: September 26, 2016

Microbial diversity differences within aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge flocs.

M-K H Winkler¹, R Kleerebezem, L M M de Bruin

¹Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands. m.k.h.winkler@tudelft.nl

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

|October 16, 2012

Summary

Aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge show distinct microbial communities but similar overall bacterial function. Aerobic granular sludge experienced a permanent shift in microbial populations, unlike activated sludge.

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A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

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Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

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Published on: September 26, 2016

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A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

Published on: December 25, 2015

Area of Science:

Environmental microbiology
Wastewater treatment technologies

Background:

Microbial community structure and function are critical for efficient wastewater treatment.
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and activated sludge (AS) are two distinct wastewater treatment systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare microbial community variations between AGS and AS systems over 400 days.
To investigate the stability and dynamics of bacterial populations and ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in both systems.
To correlate microbial community shifts with operational parameters like temperature.

Main Methods:

16S DNA gene Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) for microbial community analysis.
Similarity, multi-dimensional scaling (MDS), and correlation analyses.
Monitoring of wastewater treatment plant operational data.

Main Results:

Total bacterial communities in AGS and AS were dissimilar but showed comparable species richness, entropy, and evenness.
MDS analysis indicated stable microbial populations in AS, while AGS showed a permanent shift.
Ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities were less even than general bacterial communities, with different dominant genera (Nitrosomonas in AS, Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira equally in AGS).
Microbial diversity shifts in AOB correlated with temperature fluctuations.

Conclusions:

Wastewater treatment systems can harbor functionally similar yet compositionally distinct microbial communities.
AGS systems may promote more dynamic and permanently altered microbial populations compared to AS.
Temperature significantly influences the diversity of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in wastewater treatment systems.