About this Research Topic
Please note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies solely based on amplicon (e.g. 16S rRNA) profiles. Contributions should be driven by a clear hypothesis and experimentation, and provide insights into the microbiological system or process being studied.
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in both natural and engineered ecosystems. The Conventional Activated Sludge (CAS) process, an engineered ecosystem, has been an important component of modern sanitation systems used to treat domestic and industrial wastewaters. However, modern perspectives have shifted towards viewing “wastewater” as a rich reservoir of water, energy, nutrients and industrially useful materials (e.g. bioplastics, cellulose fibers, alginate, metals). Consequently, the current drive has shifted towards converting ‘wastewater treatment plants’ into effective ‘water resource recovery facilities.’
The existing CAS systems do not fully align with this new paradigm, falling short of meeting current demands of a rapidly growing human population and urbanization, due to their high capital and operational costs, and expansive land requirements. The future challenges include the development of new biotechnologies or the optimization of existing technologies to reduce environmental footprint, minimize chemical usage, lower energy inputs, improve process stability, and maximize both resource recovery and bioenergy production.
Microbial biotechnology is essential in assembling necessary microbial communities capable of performing vital processes and combining these in different ways, such as removal or recovery of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, eliminating micropollutants, and promoting production of bioenergy and high-value products. Therefore, comprehensive understanding of the identity, physiology, and ecology of process-critical microorganisms can lead to improved process stability, reduced CO2 emissions, optimized recovery, and bioenergy production.
We encourage researchers to contribute Original Research and Review articles that will foster further insights into microbial biotechnologies and bioprocesses for efficient wastewater treatment and resource recovery. We seek contributions that integrate cutting-edge tools such as genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic technologies with bioprocess engineering to optimize and establish sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery biotechnologies, minimizing the use of energy and resources while reducing carbon footprint. This includes studies on the latest bioprocesses like aerobic granular sludge, anaerobic membrane bioreactor, partial nitritation & anammox, and bioelectrochemical systems.
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in both natural and engineered ecosystems. The Conventional Activated Sludge (CAS) process, an engineered ecosystem, has been an important component of modern sanitation systems used to treat domestic and industrial wastewaters. However, modern perspectives have shifted towards viewing “wastewater” as a rich reservoir of water, energy, nutrients and industrially useful materials (e.g. bioplastics, cellulose fibers, alginate, metals). Consequently, the current drive has shifted towards converting ‘wastewater treatment plants’ into effective ‘water resource recovery facilities.’
The existing CAS systems do not fully align with this new paradigm, falling short of meeting current demands of a rapidly growing human population and urbanization, due to their high capital and operational costs, and expansive land requirements. The future challenges include the development of new biotechnologies or the optimization of existing technologies to reduce environmental footprint, minimize chemical usage, lower energy inputs, improve process stability, and maximize both resource recovery and bioenergy production.
Microbial biotechnology is essential in assembling necessary microbial communities capable of performing vital processes and combining these in different ways, such as removal or recovery of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, eliminating micropollutants, and promoting production of bioenergy and high-value products. Therefore, comprehensive understanding of the identity, physiology, and ecology of process-critical microorganisms can lead to improved process stability, reduced CO2 emissions, optimized recovery, and bioenergy production.
We encourage researchers to contribute Original Research and Review articles that will foster further insights into microbial biotechnologies and bioprocesses for efficient wastewater treatment and resource recovery. We seek contributions that integrate cutting-edge tools such as genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic technologies with bioprocess engineering to optimize and establish sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery biotechnologies, minimizing the use of energy and resources while reducing carbon footprint. This includes studies on the latest bioprocesses like aerobic granular sludge, anaerobic membrane bioreactor, partial nitritation & anammox, and bioelectrochemical systems.
Keywords: wastewater, CAS, water treatment, wastewater treatment, resource recovery, microbial biotechnology, aerobic granular sludge
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
