title: Nitrifying biomass characterization and monitoring during bioaugmentation in a membrane bioreactor.
abstract: A membrane bioreactor (MBR), fed with domestic wastewater, was bioaugmented with nitrifying biomass selected in a side-stream MBR fed with a synthetic high nitrogen-loaded influent. Microbial communities evolution was monitored and comparatively analysed through an extensive bio-molecular investigation (16S rRNA gene library construction and terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques) followed by statistical analyses. As expected, a highly specialized nitrifying biomass was selected in the side-stream reactor fed with high-strength ammonia synthetic wastewater. The bioaugmentation process caused an increase of nitrifying bacteria of the genera Nitrosomonas (up to more than 30%) and Nitrobacter in the inoculated MBR reactor. The overall structure of the microbial community changed in the mainstream MBR as a result of bioaugmentation. The effect of bioaugmentation in the shift of the microbial community was also verified through statistical analysis.
authors.affiliation: a Protistology-Zoology Unit, Biology Department , University of Pisa , Via A. Volta 4, 56126 , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Sibilla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Anteo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Florence , Via S. Marta n.3, 50139 , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mannucci
authors.affiliation: a Protistology-Zoology Unit, Biology Department , University of Pisa , Via A. Volta 4, 56126 , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meliani
authors.affiliation: a Protistology-Zoology Unit, Biology Department , University of Pisa , Via A. Volta 4, 56126 , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verni
authors.affiliation: a Protistology-Zoology Unit, Biology Department , University of Pisa , Via A. Volta 4, 56126 , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Petroni
authors.affiliation: b Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Florence , Via S. Marta n.3, 50139 , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Munz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Florence , Via S. Marta n.3, 50139 , Florence , Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lubello
authors.affiliation: c CER2CO (CEntro Ricerca Reflui Conciari) , Via Arginale Ovest 8, 56020 , San Romano,S. Miniato, Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Gualtiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: a Protistology-Zoology Unit, Biology Department , University of Pisa , Via A. Volta 4, 56126 , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vannini
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D064307:Microbiota; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D058465:Nitrification; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: activated sludge modelling; ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; nitrifiers; nitrite-oxidizing bacteria; wastewater treatment