Application of Metagenomics in Environmental Anaerobic Technology

Abstract

Anaerobic technology has been applied for the treatment of solid wastes and wastewater since the 1880s. This chapter reviews the most recent advance in molecular microbial characterization techniques, i.e., metagenomics, as well as its applications in anaerobic technology, from the exploration of the intriguing science of anaerobes to industrial engineering applications. With the rapidly decreasing cost of high-throughput sequencing technologies and timely updating of state-of-the-art bioinformatics analysis tools, metagenomics has revolutionized the study of microbiology and demonstrated the great potential of the development of novel microbial resources (e.g., industrial biomolecules and enzymes and biodegradation genes), as it discloses unprecedented genetic information of uncultivated microorganisms at an amazingly fast rate. This chapter gives a detailed introduction to the technical procedures of metagenomics, from preliminary molecular experiments to high-throughput sequencing, as well as its application in environmental anaerobic technology.

FISH analysis of microbial communities in a full‐scale technology for biogas production

“…The quantity of Archaea varies between 15 and 24% for all the studied situations. This result confirms the general theory that Bacteria dominate over Archaea in the anaerobic digesters [22]. As well as that it confirms other authors' studies where the per cent of Archaea in sewage sludge digesters was registered to be with average value of 20% [22,23].…”

“…This result confirms the general theory that Bacteria dominate over Archaea in the anaerobic digesters [22]. As well as that it confirms other authors' studies where the per cent of Archaea in sewage sludge digesters was registered to be with average value of 20% [22,23]. The determined percent of Archaea through the FISH analysis is highest in the autumn samples for all the analyzed digesters.…”

“…Each stationary condition is specific for each of the digesters and for each of the analyzed seasons. This result confirms the general theory that Bacteria dominate over Archaea in the anaerobic digesters [22]. Comparing the data digester by digester it can be seen that each one of the digester represent an established independent system.…”

“…Comparing the data about the technological and chemical parameters for the different digesters (Table 1) in one season it cannot be registered significant differences. As well as that it confirms other authors' studies where the per cent of Archaea in sewage sludge digesters was registered to be with average value of 20% [22,23]. The following analysis will examine the three digesters as independent methanogenic communities.…”