PRJNA237217
Biofilms from bioreactors Metagenome
Microbial biofilms are critical components in the elimination of pollutants within biofilters, yet still little is known regarding the complex relationships between bacterial community structure and diversity with biodegradation function within these engineered ecosystems. In an effort to further explore this relationship, 16S rDNA tag pyrosequencing was applied to samples taken at 4 time points from a styrene-degrading biofilter undergoing variable operating conditions. Optimization of styrene-degrading biofilters is necessary for maximum styrene elimination and cost-saving measures, thus warranting a comprehensive examination of the microbial communities within biofilters to enhance overall bioreactor performance. Application of pyrosequencing to biofiltration studies permits the analysis of changes in microbial structure and diversity not only for the dominant groups present in bioreactors, but rather changes in the entire microbial community as a response to altering operational conditions. Although the use of pyrosequencing is increasingly being applied to diverse ecological studies, this technique has been used in relatively few studies in waste gas biofiltration with no known studies up to date associated with styrene degradation. This study was undertaken to apply 16S rDNA tag pyrosequencing to assess the dynamic microbial community structure and diversity in a laboratory-scale styrene-degrading biofilter undergoing changing operational conditions that simulate transient environmental disturbances commonly found in industrial production.