Molecular Tools Engineering Applications Environmental Engineering State of

Molecular Tools: Engineering Applications

Environmental Engineering: State of the Art “Sanitary Engineering” n “Environmental Engineering” n – Biological Processes: n Wastewater – BOD removal – Nutrient Removal n Bioremediation – Primary Substrate Degradation: ex: oil spills – Co-metabolism: ex: chlorinated solvents – Contaminant immobilization: ex: Heavy Metals

Other Engineering Fields: n Biomedical Engineering: – Targeted Drug Delivery – Gene Therapy n Chemical Engineering: – Metabolic Engineering

Example: Heavy Metal Remediation Tailings Dam http: //www. science. uwaterloo. ca/research/ggr/Permeable. Reactive. Barriers/PRBfor. AMD. html

Ecology of Sulfate. Reducing Communities Polymers Hydrolytic processes Fermentative processes Methanogenic processes Sulfate-reduction processes Enzymatic Hydrolysis Oligomers CO 2 Methanogenesis Alcohols Monomers Organic Acids Fermentation CH 4 + CO 2 H 2 Acetate CO 2 Sulfate Reduction SO 42 Me 2+ H 2 S CO 2 Me. S(s)

DGGE of PRB PM a DM DM a b WL WL a b #1 a #1 b C 5 C 6 C 17 a b C 34 a b PM - standard DM - inocula from dairy manure WL - inocula from wetland #1 - initial mixture C 5 - column 5 C 6 - column 6 C 17 - mixture of column 1 and 7 C 34 - mixture of column 3 and 4

SSCP of PRB B 29 B 28 B 25 B 14 B 27 B 12 B 24 B 18 Columns 3, 4

Real-Time PCR

Example: MTBE Bioremediation MTBE BTEX

Experimental Design: p. H buffered sterilized nutrient solution MTBE only Concentration 50 mg/L MTBE W/ BTEX TBA only TBA W/ BTEX Sterile only control with all 6 compounds a well-characterized mixed culture

DGGE Profiles MTBE Only Start Known MTBE degrader “PM 1 -like” Mid. End Start TBA only Mid. End S T D Known MTBE degrader Hydrogenophaga

Real Time PCR of MTBEDegraders

Example: Fate of Antibiotic Genes >50% Antibiotics used in U. S. -> Livestock n Antibiotics demonstrated to be in Poudre River (Yang and Carlson) n Effect on Microbial Communities? n Antibiotic Resistance Genes? n

Other Areas: Drinking Water Pathogens n Activated Sludge Upset n Biological Phosphorus Removal n Assessment Tools in Bioremediation n

People, Names, Places: n n Bruce Rittmann, Northwestern U. , Lutgarde Raskin, UI-UC, Nancy Love, Virginia Tech, Dan Oerther, U. Cincinnati, Dan Noguera, UNC, Francis de los Reyes, U Wisconsin. Madison, Pedro Alvarez, U. Iowa Carl Woese- UI-UC, Rudolf Aaman- Max Planck Institute, Germany, Norm Pace. Boulder, David Stahl-, James Tiedje- Mich. State

Today’s Topics: TCE-degrading Communities n Wastewater Microbes n Phosphate Removal n Food (beer) microbiology n

Flow Cytometry