Abstract
Treatment of wastewater is important for protection of receiving waters and resource recovery. In most treatment systems, microbial communities carry out the processes and a detailed understanding of their diversity and function is essential for process optimization. Microbial composition can be described using high throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, and putative function of microorganisms can be proposed by classifying sequences to a genus for which the function is known. Environmental sequences are classified using public databases (e.g. SILVA). However, genus names for many organisms present in wastewater treatment systems are missing therein.
To improve classification for process-important organisms, we have developed MiDAS taxonomy, for which the SILVA taxonomy has been manually curated with annotations for all the abundant and important genera in full-scale activated sludge. Based on a survey of 25 full-scale Danish wastewater treatment plants over 6 years and using MiDAS taxonomy, we have collected more than 150 key organisms in activated sludge wastewater treatment systems, linked their identity with available information on their function and distribution and included this information in MiDAS field guide (www.midasfieldguide.org).
MiDAS taxonomy gives a solid foundation for the study of microbial ecology of the wastewater treatment processes. The online MiDAS field guide links the identity of genera that are important for the wastewater treatment process to details about their morphology, diversity, physiology and distribution. It has proven very useful for studies of key processes such as nitrification/denitrification, biological phosphorus removalas well as investigations of poor flocculation and settling (bulking). Currently we are continuing our efforts to establish universal guide to the microbes of activated sludge by comparing microbial community composition in 32 WWTPs located worldwide. This will facilitate a better understanding of the ecology of the ecosystem of activated sludge.
Reference: McIlroy et al. MiDAS: the field guide to the microbes of activated sludge. Database. 2015; Vol. 2015.
To improve classification for process-important organisms, we have developed MiDAS taxonomy, for which the SILVA taxonomy has been manually curated with annotations for all the abundant and important genera in full-scale activated sludge. Based on a survey of 25 full-scale Danish wastewater treatment plants over 6 years and using MiDAS taxonomy, we have collected more than 150 key organisms in activated sludge wastewater treatment systems, linked their identity with available information on their function and distribution and included this information in MiDAS field guide (www.midasfieldguide.org).
MiDAS taxonomy gives a solid foundation for the study of microbial ecology of the wastewater treatment processes. The online MiDAS field guide links the identity of genera that are important for the wastewater treatment process to details about their morphology, diversity, physiology and distribution. It has proven very useful for studies of key processes such as nitrification/denitrification, biological phosphorus removalas well as investigations of poor flocculation and settling (bulking). Currently we are continuing our efforts to establish universal guide to the microbes of activated sludge by comparing microbial community composition in 32 WWTPs located worldwide. This will facilitate a better understanding of the ecology of the ecosystem of activated sludge.
Reference: McIlroy et al. MiDAS: the field guide to the microbes of activated sludge. Database. 2015; Vol. 2015.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 2016 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| Event | 10th annual meeting of Danish Water Forum - Copenhagen, Denmark Duration: 28 Jan 2016 → … |
Conference
| Conference | 10th annual meeting of Danish Water Forum |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Denmark |
| City | Copenhagen |
| Period | 28/01/2016 → … |