title: Identifying methanogen community structures and their correlations with performance parameters in four full-scale anaerobic sludge digesters.
abstract: Four full-scale mesophilic anaerobic digesters treating waste sludge were monitored to characterize methanogen communities and their relationship with process parameters. The performance of the four digesters were dissimilar with the average chemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies between 24 and 45% and differing pH. Real-time quantitative PCR showed that archaeal 16S rRNA gene concentration ([ARC]) and, more pronouncedly, its ratio to bacterial counterpart ([ARC]/[BAC]) correlated positively with the performance parameters, including the lipid removal efficiency. Pyrosequencing identified 12 methanogen genera, of which Methanolinea, Methansaeta, and Methanospirillum collectively accounted for 79.2% of total archaeal reads. However, Methanoculleus, a numerically minor (1.9±2.6%) taxa, was the most promising biomarker for positive performance, while Methanoregula was abundant in samples with poor performance. These results could be useful for the control and management of anaerobic sludge digestion.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: Taewoan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Gu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: Joonyeob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: Gyuseong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Woong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Water Resource Cycle Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyungjin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea. Electronic address: shwang@postech.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seokhwan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012722:Sewage; D008697:Methane
keywords: 454 pyrosequencing; Anaerobic digestion; Archaea-to-bacteria ratio; Biomarker; Methanoculleus; Methanoregula; Real-time quantitative PCR