title: Microbial population dynamics in continuous anaerobic digester systems during start up, stable conditions and recovery after starvation.
abstract: The evolution and population dynamics of complex anaerobic microbial communities in anaerobic digesters were investigated during stable operation and recovery after prolonged starvation. Three thermophilic reactor systems fed with cattle manure were operated continuously in parallel for 167days. Significant changes in the microbial communities were observed for both the bacterial and archaeal populations as the reactor systems were subjected to changing feeding regimes. The ecosystems developed from being relatively similar in structure to more specialised communities, with large population shifts within the acetogenic and methanogenic communities, which appeared to shift towards the hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis pathway. All reactor systems showed signs of adaptation to a harsher environment under high VFA, H2S and ammonia concentrations, but remained at a lower degree of stability after 45days of recovery compared to stable period of operation before starvation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Nadieh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Jonge
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moset
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
authors.forename: Henrik Bjarne
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark. Electronic address: jln@bio.aau.dk.
authors.forename: Jeppe Lund
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000378:metabolism; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D058448:Biota / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D002470:Cell Survival; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000378:metabolism; D005502:Food; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology*; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D050296:Microbial Viability; D011157:Population Dynamics
chemical_list: D008372:Manure; D008697:Methane
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Biogas production; Microbial community analysis; Population dynamics; Starvation