Open AccessMethanogenic population structure in a variety of anaerobic bioreactors
Author(s) -
McHugh Sharon,
Carton Micheal,
Mahony Thérèse,
O'Flaherty Vincent
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/s0378-1097(03)00055-7
Subject(s) - bioreactor , anaerobic exercise , population , variety (cybernetics) , biochemical engineering , chemistry , biology , computer science , engineering , medicine , physiology , environmental health , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence
The methanogenic community structures of six anaerobic sludges were examined using culture‐independent techniques. The sludges were obtained from full‐scale and laboratory‐scale bioreactors, treating a variety of low‐ and high‐strength, simple and complex wastewaters at psychrophilic (10–14°C), mesophilic (37°C) and thermophilic (55°C) temperatures. Amplified rDNA restriction analysis identified 18 methanogenic operational taxonomic units in the six samples. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic reconstruction demonstrated that five separate groups of methanogens were represented with Methanosaeta ‐like species dominant in all sludges, but particularly in samples from a psychrophilic bioreactor treating low‐strength synthetic sewage (75% of all clones detected).