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Niche differentiation in microbial communities with stable genomic traits over time in engineered systems
Jinjin Yu1, Justin Y Y Lee1, Siang Nee Tang2
1School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
The ISME Journal
|March 12, 2024
Summary
Microbial communities in wastewater treatment plants are shaped by environmental conditions, leading to niche differentiation and predictable succession patterns. Understanding these microbial dynamics can improve treatment efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Environmental Engineering
- Genomics
Background:
- Microbial communities in engineered systems change dynamically.
- Mechanisms of microbial assembly, functioning, and genomic trait succession are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate microbial niches and temporal succession patterns in wastewater treatment plants.
- Understand how environmental conditions shape microbial community composition and traits.
Main Methods:
- Utilized activated sludge and anaerobic treatment systems from four industrial wastewater treatment plants.
- Generated high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes.
- Analyzed co-abundance networks and genomic traits.
Main Results:
- Environmental selection strongly shapes microbial taxonomic, functional, and trait compositions.
- Replacement processes drive variations, with niche differentiation observed.
- Plant-specific microbial indicators show deterministic temporal succession.
- Indicators in nutrient-rich systems have faster growth rates and distinct genomic features.
Conclusions:
- Microbial communities in engineered systems exhibit niche differentiation and predictable succession.
- Environmental conditions are key drivers of microbial community assembly and function.
- Insights can guide microbial community management for enhanced wastewater treatment performance.
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