CAREER: Fundamental Studies of Cross-Kingdom Aggregate Biofilms for Energy-Efficient Wastewater Treatment

职业：用于节能废水处理的跨界聚集生物膜的基础研究

• 批准号: 1452613
• 负责人: Caitlyn Butler
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-06-01 至 2022-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1452613&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Fundamental; Studies; Cross; Kingdom

1452613ButlerCAREER: Fundamental Studies of Cross-Kingdom Aggregate Biofilms for Energy-Efficient Wastewater TreatmentWastewater treatment is becoming increasingly energy-intensive as treatment requirements become more stringent. A process known as Algal-Sludge Granule treatment uses larger particles which can be separated from the wastewater and, because of their size, settle more easily. The proposed process would occupy a smaller treatment footprint than many algae-based wastewater treatment systems and has the potential to be used as a bioenergy feedstock. The merits of this process make it compelling for adoption as a secondary treatment approach. However, this novel process is still in the early stages of development and much more knowledge is needed to understand the aggregation and function of these cross-kingdom granular biofilms. The PI will work with a teacher from the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech to build technical literacy in hearing-impaired students, using the highly visual components of Algal-Sludge Granules to teach concepts of mass-balance, environmental contamination and water and wastewater treatment. During the grant period as many as 60 undergraduates per year (300 total) could participate in new project-based learning and there is potential for more than 500 hearing-impaired students to gain exposure to environmental engineering curricula. This proposed research will demonstrate: 1) the mechanisms of initial granulation, 2) the structural integrity of different granule morphologies and how physical characteristics relate to performance and microbial ecology, and, 3) the resiliency of Algal-Sludge Granules under conditions of stress. Before the discovery of Algal-Sludge Granules, using granules cultivated with both microalgae and bacteria in treatment systems was unprecedented. Large granules of phototrophs and bacteria are rarely observed in the environment. This study is an investigation of the characteristic and performance of a unique microbiological system where eukaryotes and prokaryotes exist through symbioses. This fundamental investigation will improve the understanding of cross-kingdom microbial interactions in a biofilm aggregate but also provide valuable information to advance a promising treatment technology towards implementation. At the point of initial granulation, the coordination of bacteria and phototrophs, by correlating the expression of quorum-sensing signaling molecules and lecithin proteins with dissolved oxygen concentrations, will be studied. The physical characteristics of three common Algal-Sludge Granule phenotypes by observing granule morphologies and measuring their yield strength in response to physical stresses imposed by a nano-compression instrument will be documented. The relation of the physical characteristics to microbial ecology through DNA-based molecular techniques and performance of different Algal-Sludge Granule phenotypes in bench-scale reactors will be studied. The functional redundancy and diffusion resistance leads to Algal-Sludge Granule resiliency under conditions of stress by investigating chemical fluxes using liquid-ion exchange and amperometric microsensors and correlating any changes in treatment performance to shifts microbial ecology will be demonstrated. The resulting data will build knowledge that will help inoculate, operate and validate Algal-Sludge Granule treatment, advancing Algal-Sludge Granule process toward implementation. This study will also define the relationships between phototrophs and bacteria in the context of meeting wastewater objectives, which until now is largely unexplored.

1452613巴特勒职业：跨界聚合生物膜用于高效节能废水处理的基础研究随着处理要求的日益严格，废水处理变得越来越耗能。一种被称为藻泥颗粒处理的方法使用更大的颗粒，这些颗粒可以从废水中分离出来，并且由于它们的大小，更容易沉淀。与许多基于藻类的废水处理系统相比，所提出的过程将占用更小的处理足迹，并且有可能被用作生物能源原料。该方法的优点使其成为一种二级治疗方法。然而，这种新工艺仍处于发展的早期阶段，需要更多的知识来了解这些跨界颗粒状生物膜的聚集和功能。PI将与克拉克听力和言语学校的一名教师合作，利用藻泥颗粒的高度视觉化成分，教授物质平衡、环境污染以及水和废水处理的概念，培养听障学生的技术素养。在资助期间，每年有多达60名本科生（总共300人）可以参加新的基于项目的学习，500多名听力受损的学生有可能接触到环境工程课程。这项拟议的研究将证明：1)初始造粒的机制，2)不同颗粒形态的结构完整性以及物理特性与性能和微生物生态的关系，以及3)海藻污泥颗粒在应激条件下的弹性。在发现藻泥颗粒之前，在处理系统中同时使用微藻和细菌培养的颗粒是前所未有的。在环境中很少观察到大颗粒的光养生物和细菌。本研究是对真核生物和原核生物通过共生存在的独特微生物系统的特征和性能的调查。这项基础研究将提高对生物膜聚集体中跨界微生物相互作用的理解，同时也为推进有前途的处理技术的实施提供了有价值的信息。在初始肉芽形成时，将通过群体感应信号分子和卵磷脂蛋白的表达与溶解氧浓度的关系来研究细菌和光养生物的协调。通过观察颗粒形态和测量它们在纳米压缩仪器施加的物理应力下的屈服强度，将记录三种常见藻泥颗粒表型的物理特征。通过基于dna的分子技术研究物理特性与微生物生态的关系，以及在实验规模反应器中不同藻泥颗粒表型的性能。通过使用液体离子交换和安培微传感器研究化学通量，并将处理性能的任何变化与微生物生态的变化联系起来，将证明功能冗余和扩散阻力导致藻泥颗粒在应力条件下的弹性。由此产生的数据将建立有助于接种、操作和验证藻泥颗粒处理的知识，推进藻泥颗粒工艺的实施。本研究还将在满足废水目标的背景下定义光养生物和细菌之间的关系，到目前为止，这在很大程度上尚未被探索。