Microbial electricity-driven anaerobic phenol degradation in bioelectrochemical systems.

Microbial electrochemical technologies have been extensively employed for phenol removal. Yet, previous research has yielded inconsistent results, leaving uncertainties regarding the feasibility of phenol degradation under strictly anaerobic conditions using anodes as sole terminal electron acceptors. In this study, we employed high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to investigate the anaerobic phenol degradation pathway.

Improving the performance of bioelectrochemical sulfate removal by applying flow mode.

Treatment of wastewater contaminated with high sulfate concentrations is an environmental imperative lacking a sustainable and environmental friendly technological solution. Microbial electrochemical technology (MET) represents a promising approach for sulfate reduction. In MET, a cathode is introduced as inexhaustible electron source for promoting sulfate reduction via direct or mediated electron transfer.

Monitoring of the effects of a temporally limited heat stress on microbial communities in a shallow aquifer.

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is a key concept for the use of renewable energy resources. Interest in ATES performed at high temperature (HT-ATES; > 60 °C) is increasing due to higher energetic efficiencies. HT-ATES induces temperature fluctuations that exceed the natural variability in shallow aquifers, which could lead to adverse effects in subsurface ecosystems by altering the groundwater chemistry, biodiversity, and microbial metabolic activity, resulting in changes of the groundwater quality, biogeochemical processes, and ecosystem functions.

Temperature management potentially affects carbon mineralization capacity and microbial community composition of a shallow aquifer.

High-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES) is a promising technique to reduce the CO2 footprint of heat supply in the frame of transitioning to renewable energies. However, HT-ATES causes temperature fluctuations in groundwater ecosystems potentially affecting important microbial-mediated ecosystem services. Hence, assessing the impact of increasing temperatures on the structure and functioning of aquifer microbiomes is crucial to evaluate potential environmental risks associated with HT-ATES.

Hidden sites in the distribution of the crayfish plague pathogen Aphanomyces astaci in Eastern Europe: Relicts of genetic groups from older outbreaks?

The crayfish plague agent Aphanomyces astaci is one of the world's most threatening invasive species. Originally from North America, the pathogen is being imported alongside American crayfish species, which are used for various purposes. In this study, we investigated the marginal, currently known distribution area of the pathogen in Eastern Europe by sampling narrow-clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) and spiny-cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus) populations.

MtDNA allows the sensitive detection and haplotyping of the crayfish plague disease agent Aphanomyces astaci showing clues about its origin and migration.

The oomycete Aphanomyces astaci, the causative agent of crayfish plague, is listed as one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world, destroying the native crayfish populations throughout Eurasia. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of selected mitochondrial (mt) genes to track the diversity of the crayfish plague pathogen A. astaci.