Temporal Dynamics of Microbial Communities in Anaerobic Digestion: Influence of Temperature and Feedstock Composition on Reactor Performance and Stability.
This study investigated the effect of feedstock composition on the microbial community underpinning anaerobic digestion across temporal scales. Here we provide a literature review investigating feedstock composition in terms of substrates and pH reported to support microbial growth. We then present the results of continuously stirring treatment reactor (CSTR) experiments exploring the effect of temperature and feedstock composition on AD using characterised real-world food-industry mycoprotein fermentation wastewater (MFWW). MFWW composition varied depending on the fermentation cycle. Therefore, we monitored influent composition through the experiment, including COD pH, VFA, and sugar and sugar alcohol content. We used influent COD to calculate the OLR in g COD/L/d. We defined stability as COD removal greater than 75% and consistent pH.