Advances in the applications of Bacteriophages and phage products against food-contaminating bacteria.

Food-contaminating bacteria pose a threat to food safety and the economy by causing foodborne illnesses and spoilage. Bacteriophages, a group of viruses that infect only bacteria, have the potential to control bacteria throughout the "farm-to-fork continuum". Phage application offers several advantages, including targeted action against specific bacterial strains and minimal impact on the natural microflora of food.

Denitrification accelerates granular sludge formation in sequencing batch reactors.

In this study, the role of denitrification on aerobic granular sludge formation in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) was investigated. Formation of aerobic granular sludge was faster in SBRs fed with varying concentrations of nitrate or nitrite as compared to control, which received no nitrate or nitrite in the feed. The majority of the fed nitrate or nitrite was denitrified in the anoxic static fill phase, prior to aerobic reaction phase.

Biogenic nanopalladium production by self-immobilized granular biomass: application for contaminant remediation.

Microbial granules cultivated in an aerobic bubble column sequencing batch reactor were used for reduction of Pd(II) and formation of biomass associated Pd(0) nanoparticles (Bio-Pd) for reductive transformation of organic and inorganic contaminants. Addition of Pd(II) to microbial granules incubated under fermentative conditions resulted in rapid formation of Bio-Pd. The reduction of soluble Pd(II) to biomass associated Pd(0) was predominantly mediated by H2 produced through fermentation.

P-nitrophenol biodegradation by aerobic microbial granules.

Mixed microbial consortia in the form of aerobic microbial granules (AMG) capable of xenobiotic degradation can be developed from activated sludge or by adaptation of microbial granules pre-grown on labile carbon sources. Both of these approaches were investigated for the cultivation of AMG capable of p-nitrophenol (PNP) biodegradation. Attempts to cultivate AMG from activated sludge using PNP as the sole carbon source were not successful due to poor microbial growth and washout of the inoculated activated sludge.