13C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying Communities
Current methods determining biomass yield require sophisticated sensors for in situ measurements or multiple steady-state reactor runs. Determining the yield of specific groups of organisms in mixed cultures in a fast and easy manner remains challenging. This study describes a fast method to estimat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00192/full |
| _version_ | 1818621303568990208 |
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| author | Tom G. L. Vandekerckhove Samuel Bodé Chaïm De Mulder Siegfried E. Vlaeminck Siegfried E. Vlaeminck Nico Boon |
| author_facet | Tom G. L. Vandekerckhove Samuel Bodé Chaïm De Mulder Siegfried E. Vlaeminck Siegfried E. Vlaeminck Nico Boon |
| author_sort | Tom G. L. Vandekerckhove |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Current methods determining biomass yield require sophisticated sensors for in situ measurements or multiple steady-state reactor runs. Determining the yield of specific groups of organisms in mixed cultures in a fast and easy manner remains challenging. This study describes a fast method to estimate the maximum biomass yield (Ymax), based on 13C incorporation during activity measurements. It was applied to mixed cultures containing ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) or archaea (AOA) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), grown under mesophilic (15–28°C) and thermophilic (50°C) conditions. Using this method, no distinction could be made between AOB and AOA co-existing in a community. A slight overestimation of the nitrifier biomass due to 13C redirection via SMP to heterotrophs could occur, meaning that this method determines the carbon fixation activity of the autotrophic microorganisms rather than the actual nitrifier biomass yield. Thermophilic AOA yields exceeded mesophilic AOB yields (0.22 vs. 0.06–0.11 g VSS g-1 N), possibly linked to a more efficient pathway for CO2 incorporation. NOB thermophilically produced less biomass (0.025–0.028 vs. 0.048–0.051 g VSS g-1 N), conceivably attributed to higher maintenance requirement, rendering less energy available for biomass synthesis. Interestingly, thermophilic nitrification yield was higher than its mesophilic counterpart, due to the dominance of AOA over AOB at higher temperatures. An instant temperature increase impacted the mesophilic AOB yield, corroborating the effect of maintenance requirement on production capacity. Model simulations of two realistic nitrification/denitrification plants were robust toward changing nitrifier yield in predicting effluent ammonium concentrations, whereas sludge composition was impacted. Summarized, a fast, precise and easily executable method was developed determining Ymax of ammonia and nitrite oxidizers in mixed communities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:07:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5259b75c76254e179feff4ee128d5703 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:07:08Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5259b75c76254e179feff4ee128d57032022-12-21T22:21:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2019-02-011010.3389/fmicb.2019.0019239624913C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying CommunitiesTom G. L. Vandekerckhove0Samuel Bodé1Chaïm De Mulder2Siegfried E. Vlaeminck3Siegfried E. Vlaeminck4Nico Boon5Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumIsotope Bioscience Laboratory (ISOFYS), Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumBIOMATH, Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumCenter for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumResearch Group of Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumCenter for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumCurrent methods determining biomass yield require sophisticated sensors for in situ measurements or multiple steady-state reactor runs. Determining the yield of specific groups of organisms in mixed cultures in a fast and easy manner remains challenging. This study describes a fast method to estimate the maximum biomass yield (Ymax), based on 13C incorporation during activity measurements. It was applied to mixed cultures containing ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) or archaea (AOA) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), grown under mesophilic (15–28°C) and thermophilic (50°C) conditions. Using this method, no distinction could be made between AOB and AOA co-existing in a community. A slight overestimation of the nitrifier biomass due to 13C redirection via SMP to heterotrophs could occur, meaning that this method determines the carbon fixation activity of the autotrophic microorganisms rather than the actual nitrifier biomass yield. Thermophilic AOA yields exceeded mesophilic AOB yields (0.22 vs. 0.06–0.11 g VSS g-1 N), possibly linked to a more efficient pathway for CO2 incorporation. NOB thermophilically produced less biomass (0.025–0.028 vs. 0.048–0.051 g VSS g-1 N), conceivably attributed to higher maintenance requirement, rendering less energy available for biomass synthesis. Interestingly, thermophilic nitrification yield was higher than its mesophilic counterpart, due to the dominance of AOA over AOB at higher temperatures. An instant temperature increase impacted the mesophilic AOB yield, corroborating the effect of maintenance requirement on production capacity. Model simulations of two realistic nitrification/denitrification plants were robust toward changing nitrifier yield in predicting effluent ammonium concentrations, whereas sludge composition was impacted. Summarized, a fast, precise and easily executable method was developed determining Ymax of ammonia and nitrite oxidizers in mixed communities.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00192/fullbiological nitrogen removalsensitivity analysisNitrososphaera gargensisNitrospiraobserved yield |
| spellingShingle | Tom G. L. Vandekerckhove Samuel Bodé Chaïm De Mulder Siegfried E. Vlaeminck Siegfried E. Vlaeminck Nico Boon 13C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying Communities Frontiers in Microbiology biological nitrogen removal sensitivity analysis Nitrososphaera gargensis Nitrospira observed yield |
| title | 13C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying Communities |
| title_full | 13C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying Communities |
| title_fullStr | 13C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying Communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | 13C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying Communities |
| title_short | 13C Incorporation as a Tool to Estimate Biomass Yields in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Nitrifying Communities |
| title_sort | 13c incorporation as a tool to estimate biomass yields in thermophilic and mesophilic nitrifying communities |
| topic | biological nitrogen removal sensitivity analysis Nitrososphaera gargensis Nitrospira observed yield |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00192/full |
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