Understanding the Role and Potential Application of Bacteriophages in Wastewater Treatment

生物废水处理过程的性能取决于所选择的微生物群落来执行预定的代谢过程。噬菌体是与细菌种群一起栖息在废水中的病毒，并感染细菌群落。据报道，废水生物反应器中的噬菌体浓度为每毫升108至1010个。在废水生物反应器系统中，噬菌体与细菌群落维持着复杂的平衡，在控制微生物种群动态从而控制反应器性能方面发挥着重要作用。然而，噬菌体在生物反应器中发挥的作用以及噬菌体在优化生物反应器性能方面的潜在应用还知之甚少。基于噬菌体的细菌控制是一个新兴的前沿领域，但成功地将噬菌体应用于废水处理需要了解各种处理条件下噬菌体和细菌数量的平衡。*本研究的目的是评价噬菌体介导的细菌控制在废水生物处理中的作用和潜在应用。我们特别感兴趣的是监测各种操作和环境条件下生物反应器中噬菌体和细菌群落之间的平衡，研究噬菌体对生物反应器性能影响的机制，以及评估改变生物反应器中噬菌体和细菌群落之间的平衡以优化微生物种群和生物反应器性能的潜在方法。预计从拟议的研究计划中获得的知识将加速噬菌体在工程生物反应器中的有益应用的发展，并将丰富我们对细菌发病机制和生态学的知识。对噬菌体、细菌和外部条件之间相互作用的研究将有助于揭示工程生物反应器中经常发生的过程颠覆的未知原因，并将有助于评估噬菌体在控制营养物质去除、生物膜形成和污泥沉降方面的作用和潜力。参与该计划的高素质人员将获得学术和行业知识和经验，以加强艾伯塔省和加拿大的废水处理管理。**

The performance of a biological wastewater treatment process depends on the microbial communities selected to carry out the intended metabolic process. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that inhabit wastewater along with the bacterial populations and infect bacterial communities. The concentration of phages in wastewater bioreactors is reported to range from 108 to 1010 per mL. In wastewater bioreactor systems, phages maintain a complicated balance with bacteria communities and play significant roles in controlling microbial population dynamics, and therefore reactor performance. However, the role phages play in bioreactors and the potential applications of phages to optimize bioreactor performance are poorly understood. Phage based bacterial control presents an emerging frontier, but successful application of phages to wastewater treatment requires knowledge of the balance of phage and bacteria numbers under various treatment conditions. ******The goal of this research is to evaluate the role and potential application of phage-mediated bacterial control in biological wastewater treatment. We are particularly interested in monitoring the balance between phage and bacteria communities in bioreactors under various operational and environmental conditions, examining the mechanisms involved in phage impacts on bioreactor performance, and evaluating potential approaches to shift the balance between phage and bacteria communities in bioreactors to optimize microbial populations and bioreactor performance. It is expected that knowledge gained from the proposed research program will accelerate the development of beneficial applications of phages in engineered bioreactors, and will enrich our knowledge of bacterial pathogenesis and ecology. Research on interactions among phages, bacteria, and external conditions will shed light on hitherto unknown reasons for the process upsets that often occur in engineered bioreactors and will enable an assessment of the role and potential of phages in controlling nutrient removal, biofilm formation, and sludge settlement. The highly qualified personnel participating in this program will obtain academic and industrial knowledge and experience that can strengthen Alberta's and Canada's wastewater treatment management.**