Organic carbon recovery and photosynthetic bacteria population in an anaerobic membrane photo-bioreactor treating food processing wastewater

► Photo-bioreactor is used for conversion of organic carbon in wastewater to biomass. ► Photosynthetic bacteria grew in the reactor equipped with infrared transmitting filter. ► Photo-bioreactor was operated with real fluctuating wastewater in long term (>400 d). ► Mixed photosynthetic bacteria culture was characterized by PCR-DGGE method. ► Presence of Rhodopseudomonas palustris and diversity of photosynthetic bacteria were revealed.