Improving efficiency of a microbial bioreactor for aquaponics

NutraPonics Canada Corporation（NCC）运营着一个独立的鱼菜共生系统，水通过鱼缸，微生物生物反应器和植物生长床不断循环。 这种集成系统使植物的生长速度比传统农业快两倍。微生物生物反应器通过分解鱼废物产生丰富的植物生长促进营养素。主要地，硝化微生物作为生物膜生长在生物反应器内的循环塑料载体上，将鱼排泄的氨转化为植物容易吸收的硝酸盐。为了最大化和优化鱼菜共生系统中微生物的全部潜力，本提案旨在：1）鉴定生物反应器中构成载体生物膜的微生物，与鱼鳃组织相关的微生物，以及与植物根部相关的微生物; 2）确定在铵浓度、pH和氧水平的变化下载体生物膜微生物群落的氮转化率;以及3）确定生物反应器内微生物群落的温室气体产生和消耗潜力（即二氧化碳、一氧化二氮、甲烷）。这些知识将为公司的鱼菜共生系统的设计、未来改进和营销提供信息。这些数据将允许优化整个系统中微生物的氮利用效率和其他有用功能，这将节省公司升级和规模化运营的时间和资源。

NutraPonics Canada Corporation (NCC) operates a self-contained aquaponics system whereby water continuously circulates through a fish tank, a microbial bioreactor, and plant-growth beds. This integrated system enables plants to grow twice as fast relative to traditional farming. The microbial bioreactor produces an abundance of plant growth-promoting nutrients by decomposing fish waste. Principally, nitrifying microorganisms grown as biofilms on circulating plastic carriers within the bioreactor convert ammonia excreted by the fish into nitrate, which the plants readily absorb. To maximize and optimize the full potential of microorgansims within the aquaponics system, this proposal aims to: 1) identify microorganisms comprising the carrier biofilms in the bioreactor, those associated with fish gill tissues, and those associated with plant roots; 2) determine the rates of nitrogen conversions by the carrier biofilm microbial communities under variations of ammonium concentration, pH, and oxygen level; and 3) determine the greenhouse gas production and consumption potential (i.e. carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane) of microbial communities within the bioreactor. This knowledge will inform the design, future improvements, and marketing of the company's aquaponics system. The data will allow for optimization of nitrogen use efficiency and other useful functions of microorganisms throughout the system, which will save the company time and resources as they upgrade and scale operations.