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选择用于进行预期代谢过程的微生物群落。噬菌体（Bacteriophage，简称噬菌体）是一种病毒，它沿着于废水中的细菌种群并感染细菌群落。据报道，废水生物反应器中的三氯甲烷浓度范围为108至1010/mL。在废水生物反应器系统中，微生物与细菌群落保持复杂的平衡，并在控制微生物种群动态和反应器性能方面发挥重要作用。然而，在生物反应器中的作用和潜在的应用，优化生物反应器的性能的生物降解酶知之甚少。基于噬菌体的细菌控制呈现出一个新兴的前沿，但成功地应用于废水处理需要在各种处理条件下的噬菌体和细菌数量的平衡的知识。 本研究的目的是评估噬菌体介导的细菌控制在生物废水处理中的作用和潜在的应用。我们特别感兴趣的是在各种操作和环境条件下监测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的影响所涉及的机制，并评估潜在的方法来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。 预计从拟议的研究计划中获得的知识将加速开发工程生物反应器中的有益应用，并将丰富我们对细菌致病机理和生态学的知识。微生物，细菌和外部条件之间的相互作用的研究将揭示迄今为止未知的原因，过程中经常发生在工程生物反应器的干扰，并将能够评估的作用和潜在的微生物在控制营养物质的去除，生物膜的形成，和污泥沉降。参加该计划的高素质人员将获得学术和工业知识和经验，可以加强阿尔伯塔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.