On Enhanced biological phosphorus removal

20.06.22 07:01 AM By vasanth

Phosphorus accumulating organisms [PAOs] think different.


They are not interested in crowd formation like organic heterotrophs. They know their niche. They know where their space is. They know themselves.


Say, I’m a bacterium. I’m introduced to a new space/vast land with abundant resources for growth. The first strategy that comes to my mind is “I have to grow faster than others” [like our modern startups think]. They spend all their resources to outcompete their competitors. And at the end of the day, some do succeed. These are our typical ordinary organic heterotrophs that take organic carbon from the environment. They can double in 4 hours. And occupies most of the space available to them. Sounds great!


But there’s this bacterium [the PAOs] that says, I’m not going to be an “ordinary heterotroph”. Fast-growing at the expense of resources, for me, is a primitive strategy. I know my niche. Let me do it my way.


PAOs have a unique niche. It takes up organic carbon (in the form of volatile fatty acids) during the anaerobic period and stores it as polyhydroxyalkanoates [PHAs], by breaking down the polyphosphate [PP] polymers and glycogen reserves. While, during the aerobic period, it takes up the orthophosphate (PO4) in the water, at the expense of breaking the PHA. By doing this, it replenishes its glycogen and PP reserves. Indeed, think different.




Hope our modern-age bootstrapped startups learn from PAOs, the lesson to thrive in a competitive environment.


P.S. I have written my Master's thesis based on EBPR. You may have a look.

https://odr.chalmers.se/bitstream/20.500.12380/301670/1/ACEX60%2C Ramesh Vasanth.pdf

 

vasanth