Bacteriophage ecology in environmental biotechnology processes

Heterotrophic bacteria are an integral part of any environmental biotechnology process (EBP). Therefore, factors controlling bacterial abundance, activity, and community composition are central to the understanding of such processes. Among these factors, top-down control by bacteriophage predation has so far received very limited attention. With over 108 particles per ml, phage appear to be the most numerous biological entities in EBP. Phage populations in EBP appear to be highly dynamic and to correlate with the population dynamics of their hosts and genomic evidence suggests bacteria evolve to avoid phage predation. Clearly, there is much to learn regarding bacteriophage in EBP before we can truly understand the microbial ecology of these globally important systems.

Research highlights
► Very little is known on the ecology of bacteriophage in wastewater treatment systems.
► Phage populations in these systems appear to be active and highly dynamic.
► Fluctuating phage counts indicate possible kill-the-winner interactions with hosts.
► It is unclear if and how phage predation affects wastewater treatment efficiency.
► Further study is needed to integrate phage activity into treatment process management.