Controlling the microbial geneatrion of nitrous oxide in wastewater treatment; a pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

在这个项目中，我们将采用多尺度方法来了解和控制废水处理(WWT)细菌中的一氧化二氮(N2O)排放。这将涉及将工厂规模的检测/分析与一个实验模型系统相结合，以了解WWT中N2O的微生物生产和消费。该学生最初将使用脱氮Comamonas作为一个潜在的模型系统，以了解WWT细菌中N2O的产生(源)和消耗(汇)。反硝化梭菌是WWT中一种重要的异养反硝化细菌，具有快速反硝化能力，易于培养，在悬浮液和表面形成聚集体。这些聚集体中的细胞形成了相互连接的跨越空间的网络，具有令人着迷的机械性能，因此也是从软物质和生物物理角度研究的优秀系统。

In this project we will adopt a multiscale approach to understand and control nitrous oxide (N2O)emissions in wastewater treatment (WWT) bacteria. This will involve combining plant-scale detection/analysis with an experimental model system for understanding microbial production and consumption of N2O in WWT. The student will initially use Comamonas denitrificans as a potential model system for understanding N2O production (source) and consumption (sink) in WWT bacteria. C. denitrificans, an important heterotrophic denitrifier in WWT with rapid denitrifying ability, is easy to culture and forms aggregates in suspension and on surfaces. The cells within these aggregates form interconnected space-spanning networks with fascinating mechanical properties and so are excellent systems with which to study from a soft matter and biological physics perspective.