Research initiatives in MAPTech Lab have provided key insights into microbial community assembly in aerobic granular sludge systems. Our team studied a full-scale AGS reactor in the Netherlands and found that species sorting within aggregates -not immigration from influent wastewater- governs community composition, with larger granules enriching slow-growing bacteria critical for nutrient removal. “Understanding the operating dynamics of AGS microbial communities is very important at this stage. This technology will replace existing systems, and by answering these fundamental questions, we can optimize its performance,” Saikaly explains.

Read the full article in KAUST Discovery here.