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Integrating microbial ecology in bioprocess understanding: the case of gas biofiltration

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Abstract

Biofilters are packed-bed bioreactors where contaminants, once transferred from the gas phase to the biofilm, are oxidized by diverse and complex communities of attached microorganisms. Over the last decade, more and more studies aimed at opening the back box of biofiltration by unraveling the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship. In this review, we report the insights provided by the microbial ecology approach in biofilters and we emphasize the parallels existing with other engineered ecosystems used for wastewater treatment, as they all constitute relevant model ecosystems to explore ecological issues. We considered three characteristic ecological indicators: the density, the diversity, and the structure of the microbial community. Special attention was paid to the temporal and spatial dynamics of each indicator, insofar as it can disclose the potential relationship, or absence of relation, with any operating or functional parameter. We also focused on the impact of disturbance regime on the microbial community structure, in terms of resistance, resilience, and memory. This literature review led to mitigated conclusions in terms of biodiversity–ecosystem function relationship. Depending on the environmental system itself and the way it is investigated, the spatial and temporal dynamics of the microbial community can be either correlated (e.g., spatial stratification) or uncoupled (e.g., temporal instability) to the ecosystem function. This lack of generality shows the limits of current 16S approach in complex ecosystems, where a functional approach may be more suitable.

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Acknowledgements

The work of Dr. Léa Cabrol was supported by a PhD grant CIFRE 2006/497 from Veolia Environnement Recherche et Innovation. The authors would like to thank Dr. Franck Poly from the Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, University of Lyon I, for helpful discussions.

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  1. Laboratoire Génie de l’Environnement Industriel, Ecole des Mines d’Alès, 7 Rue Jules Renard, 30100, Alès, France

    Léa Cabrol & Luc Malhautier

  2. Veolia Environnement Recherche et Innovation, Chemin de la Digue, BP76, 78600, Maisons Laffitte, France

    Léa Cabrol

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  1. Léa Cabrol
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Correspondence to Léa Cabrol.

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Cabrol, L., Malhautier, L. Integrating microbial ecology in bioprocess understanding: the case of gas biofiltration. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 90, 837–849 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-011-3191-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-011-3191-9

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