Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “microbiome selection”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Abiotic selection of microbial genome size in the global ocean

Abstract Strong purifying selection is considered a major evolutionary force behind small microbial genomes in the resource-poor photic ocean. However, very little is currently known about how the size of prokaryotic genomes evolves in the global ocean and whether patterns reflect shifts in resource availability in the epipelagic and relatively stable deep-sea environmental conditions. Using 364 marine microbial metagenomes, we investigate how the average genome size of uncultured planktonic prokaryotes varies across the tropical and polar oceans to the hadal realm. We find that genome size is highest in the perennially cold polar ocean, reflecting elongation of coding genes and gene dosage effects due to duplications in the interior ocean microbiome. Moreover, the rate of change in genome size due to temperature is 16-fold higher than with depth up to 200 m. Our results demonstrate how environmental factors can influence marine microbial genome size selection and ecological strategies of the microbiome.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of Computational Environmental Microbiome Workflows for the Laboratory and the International Space Station

Identification of microorganisms in the spaceflight environment is critical for crew health risk assessment on the International Space Station (ISS). Since 2017, nanopore sequencing technology has been used to support thein situ identification of microbial species during spaceflight. Beginning in 2018, a culture-independent, swab-to-sequencer method was implemented onboard the ISS to provide a more thorough insight of the ISS microbiome. Eliminating microbial culture enables identification of difficult-to-culture organisms, reduces risks associated with potentially pathogenic cultures, and could significantly reduce the time from sample-to-answer. However, this molecular-based approach generates large metagenomic datasets that require substantial computational resources for analysis. To process nanopore-generated sequencing data, the JSC Microbiology Laboratory established a bioinformatics workflow on Amazon EC2 under the security guidance of the NASA Science Managed Cloud Environment (SMCE).This resource allows for the development, testing, and accessing of computational tools for processing large and complex datasets. The work described here will address the downlinking of data from the ISS, the automated pipeline developed to identify targeted bacterial and fungal organisms, and the time from sampling onboard to microbial identification. The pipelines have been enhanced to address high and low biomass samples using optimization based on sample source (air, water, or surface) and type of collection (filter, colony, or swab).The resulting microbiome data can be assessed beyond microbial identifications to gain understanding toward population changes over time, potential selective environmental pressures, and evaluating correlations with a wide range of additional data sets. Metagenome analysis pipelines in development could allow for simultaneous identification of microbial species, gene function, and gene pathways present in the environment. Beyond the ground processing, the developed analysis pipeline is currently deployed onboard the ISS to allow for near real-time assessments of the ISS microbiome. This study serves as a critical foundation for exploration missions, where rapid microbiome analyses will be required.

G. Marie Sharp↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Survey of Bacterial Microcompartment Distribution in the Human Microbiome

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein-based organelles that expand the metabolic potential of many bacteria by sequestering segments of enzymatic pathways in a selectively permeable protein shell. Sixty-eight different types/subtypes of BMCs have been bioinformatically identified based on the encapsulated enzymes and shell proteins encoded in genomic loci. BMCs are found across bacterial phyla. The organisms that contain them, rather than strictly correlating with specific lineages, tend to reflect the metabolic landscape of the environmental niches they occupy. From our recent comprehensive bioinformatic survey of BMCs found in genome sequence data, we find many in members of the human microbiome. Here we survey the distribution of BMCs in the different biotopes of the human body. Given their amenability to be horizontally transferred and bioengineered they hold promise as metabolic modules that could be used to probiotically alter microbiomes or treat dysbiosis.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Novel adaptive immune systems in pristine Antarctic soils

Antarctic environments are dominated by microorganisms, which are vulnerable to viral infection. Although several studies have investigated the phylogenetic repertoire of bacteria and viruses in these poly-extreme environments with freezing temperatures, high ultra violet irradiation levels, low moisture availability and hyper-oligotrophy, the evolutionary mechanisms governing microbial immunity remain poorly understood. Using genome-resolved metagenomics, we test the hypothesis that Antarctic poly-extreme high-latitude microbiomes harbour diverse adaptive immune systems. Our analysis reveals the prevalence of prophages in bacterial genomes (Bacteroidota and Verrucomicrobiota), suggesting the significance of lysogenic infection strategies in Antarctic soils. Furthermore, we demonstrate the presence of diverse CRISPR-Cas arrays, including Class 1 arrays (Types I-B, I-C, and I-E), alongside systems exhibiting novel gene architecture among their effector cas genes. Notably, a Class 2 system featuring type V variants lacks CRISPR arrays, encodes Cas1 and Cas2 adaptation module genes. Phylogenetic analysis of Cas12 effector proteins hints at divergent evolutionary histories compared to classified type V effectors and indicates that TnpB is likely the ancestor of Cas12 nucleases. Our findings suggest substantial novelty in Antarctic cas sequences, likely driven by strong selective pressures. These results underscore the role of viral infection as a key evolutionary driver shaping polar microbiomes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

A symbiotic physical niche in Drosophila melanogaster regulates stable association of a multi-species gut microbiota

The gut is continuously invaded by diverse bacteria from the diet and the environment, yet microbiome composition is relatively stable over time for host species ranging from mammals to insects, suggesting host-specific factors may selectively maintain key species of bacteria. To investigate host specificity, we used gnotobiotic Drosophila, microbial pulse-chase protocols, and microscopy to investigate the stability of different strains of bacteria in the fly gut. We show that a host-constructed physical niche in the foregut selectively binds bacteria with strain-level specificity, stabilizing their colonization. Primary colonizers saturate the niche and exclude secondary colonizers of the same strain, but initial colonization by Lactobacillus species physically remodels the niche through production of a glycan-rich secretion to favor secondary colonization by unrelated commensals in the Acetobacter genus. Our results provide a mechanistic framework for understanding the establishment and stability of a multi-species intestinal microbiome.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Unlocking the Microbiome of the International Space Station

With the start of human occupation more than 22 years ago, the microbiome of International Space Station (ISS) has been monitored to assess risk to both crew and craft. Historically, this monitoring has been achieved through onboard culture and ground-based analyses. Data spanning this timeframe are descriptive of a semi-closed, human occupied environment with associations to crew changes and process escapes within the environmental control and life support systems. While this approach has served to provide alerts to anomalies and overall confidence in the controls in place, the data are limited to the media type and growth conditions used. The bias toward the detection of culturable organisms has depicted an overall lack in biodiversity. As NASA leaves the ISS to focus on exploration, it is critical to fully understand its microbiome and its possible association to the noted positive influence on crew and vehicle health. The implementation of culture-independent, nanopore sequencing-based studies, both onboard the ISS and with returned ground samples, is revealing a more thorough depiction of the microbiome. As noted with pervious culture-based data, there is a common core microbiome across time and location, but key distinct areas of greater diversity exist. Through further investigation, these areas are emerging as unique ecological niches, potentially resulting in environmentally driven microbial selection. Moreover, the presence of some noted taxa within these unique locations has implications for crew health, planetary protection, and controls used in future spacecraft systems. The ability to perform in situ profiling of the ISS microbiome is transforming how NASA assesses risk and is a critical tool towards monitoring the establishment of the environmental microbiome in exploration spacecraft.

Sarah Stahl-Rommel↗
DOE OSTI2023

Root phenotypes for improved nitrogen capture

Abstract Background Suboptimal nitrogen availability is a primary constraint for crop production in low-input agroecosystems, while nitrogen fertilization is a primary contributor to the energy, economic, and environmental costs of crop production in high-input agroecosystems. In this article we consider avenues to develop crops with improved nitrogen capture and reduced requirement for nitrogen fertilizer. Scope Intraspecific variation for an array of root phenotypes has been associated with improved nitrogen capture in cereal crops, including architectural phenotypes that colocalize root foraging with nitrogen availability in the soil; anatomical phenotypes that reduce the metabolic costs of soil exploration, improve penetration of hard soil, and exploit the rhizosphere; subcellular phenotypes that reduce the nitrogen requirement of plant tissue; molecular phenotypes exhibiting optimized nitrate uptake kinetics; and rhizosphere phenotypes that optimize associations with the rhizosphere microbiome. For each of these topics we provide examples of root phenotypes which merit attention as potential selection targets for crop improvement. Several cross-cutting issues are addressed including the importance of soil hydrology and impedance, phenotypic plasticity, integrated phenotypes, in silico modeling, and breeding strategies using high throughput phenotyping for co-optimization of multiple phenes. Conclusions Substantial phenotypic variation exists in crop germplasm for an array of root phenotypes that improve nitrogen capture. Although this topic merits greater research attention than it currently receives, we have adequate understanding and tools to develop crops with improved nitrogen capture. Root phenotypes are underutilized yet attractive breeding targets for the development of the nitrogen efficient crops urgently needed in global agriculture.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Single nucleotide variants drive evolutionary phage-host arms race in anaerobic carbon dioxide-converting microbiome

Microbial bioconversions are shaped by environmental perturbations and the adaptation of resident microbiomes. Prokaryotes coexist with bacteriophages, yet their coevolutionary trajectories remain underexplored. Here, we investigate the effects of a cultivation vessel leak on an anaerobic consortium performing carbon dioxide reduction. Using time-series shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we reconstruct microbial and viral genomes to track community shifts. We further apply single-nucleotide variant profiling and CRISPR array analysis to monitor viral microdiversity and host defense mechanisms. After bioaugmentation restores bioconversion efficiency, the consortium undergoes pronounced restructuring, with new dominant taxa emerging from the rare biosphere. We identify patterns consistent with phage predation selectively removing certain species, while others exhibit resilience to infection. This shift aligns with a widespread viral outbreak and a transient increased frequency of single nucleotide variants in bacterial CRISPR–Cas defense genes. Expansion of CRISPR spacers further supports that CRISPR-mediated processes influence microbial resilience. Concurrently, phages infecting resilient hosts exhibited adaptive evolution, marked by high genetic heterogeneity. Selective pressure varies across their genomes, targeting infectivity genes and protospacer-adjacent motifs. These findings highlight a dynamic evolutionary arms race driven by the selection of beneficial genetic variants, providing a mechanistic framework for multi-omics investigations, and informing biotechnological applications, including phage-based microbiome manipulation.

Ghiotto, G↗
DOE OSTI2024

Engineering Methanogenic Microbiomes to Redirect Flux to Biomass

In this study, we present a method for acquiring and characterizing novel microbial consortia that regulates methanogens and methanotrophs through selective cultivation and metagenomic analysis of indigenous microorganisms in the environment. In addition, we present the work performed as part of this project to model the pathways that act as limiting factors in microbial methane metabolism based on a carbon cycle model. In this report, we describe the methods for selective cultivation of methane-metabolism-related microorganisms from environmental samples, the method for monitoring their methane consumption performance, and the method and results for verifying their functions using quantitative PCR and metagenomics techniques. The microbial consortia containing methanotrophs were obtained through selective cultivation and molecular biological verification, and their methane consumption performance was evaluated. In addition, the potential of the existence of bacteriophages interacting with methane metabolism-related microorganisms was identified through metagenomic sequencing.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

CAZyme domain architectures suggest fine-scale functional differentiation among anaerobic fungi and bacteria during lignocellulose conversion to volatile fatty acids

Anaerobic fermentation with microbial communities (microbiomes) is an emerging platform for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and bioproducts. The process relies on diverse anaerobic microbes that interact to deconstruct and convert lignocellulosic biomass into a range of products, such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which can be achieved by arresting methanogenesis during fermentation. However, defining the distinct functional roles played by various fungi and bacteria during anaerobic biodegradation remains poorly understood. Here, we performed parallel enrichment experiments from cow faeces, goat faeces, and anaerobic digester sludge, selecting for fungal or bacterial dominated communities that convert sorghum biomass into VFAs. Subsequently we reconstructed metabolic networks across these enrichments based on recovered bacterial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and fungal isolate genomes and profiled their metabolic activity using metatranscriptomics to identify potential functional niches. Our findings implicate diverse bacteria affiliated with the Bacteroidales and Lachnospiraceae in the direct conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to propionate and butyrate, respectively, whereas Neocallimastix-dominated fungal enrichments converted lignocellulose to lactate, acetate and formate. Analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) revealed fine-scale differences between microbes that expressed unique multi-functional enzymes linking two or more CAZymes together with distinct carbohydrate binding motifs, implicating lignocellulose structure as a key driver of selection and niche differentiation. Most of these multi-functional enzymes localized complementary degradation functions together, likely conferring synergistic degradation effects within and between microbiome members. We anticipate that these findings will help inform efforts to develop synthetic microbiomes with tailored functionality for low-cost conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and bio-based chemicals.

Lawson, Christopher E [University of Toronto;]↗
DOE OSTI2022

CRISPR-based engineering of phages for in situ bacterial base editing

Investigation of microbial gene function is essential to the elucidation of ecological roles and complex genetic interactions that take place in microbial communities. While microbiome studies have increased in prevalence, the lack of viable in situ editing strategies impedes experimental progress, rendering genetic knowledge and manipulation of microbial communities largely inaccessible. Here, we demonstrate the utility of phage-delivered CRISPR-Cas payloads to perform targeted genetic manipulation within a community context, deploying a fabricated ecosystem (EcoFAB) as an analog for the soil microbiome. First, we detail the engineering of two classical phages for community editing using recombination to replace nonessential genes through Cas9-based selection. We show efficient engineering of T7, then demonstrate the expression of antibiotic resistance and fluorescent genes from an engineered λ prophage within an Escherichia coli host. Next, we modify λ to express an APOBEC-1-based cytosine base editor (CBE), which we leverage to perform C-to-T point mutations guided by a modified Cas9 containing only a single active nucleolytic domain (nCas9). We strategically introduce these base substitutions to create premature stop codons in-frame, inactivating both chromosomal ( lacZ ) and plasmid-encoded genes (mCherry and ampicillin resistance) without perturbation of the surrounding genomic regions. Furthermore, using a multigenera synthetic soil community, we employ phage-assisted base editing to induce host-specific phenotypic alterations in a community context both in vitro and within the EcoFAB, observing editing efficiencies from 10 to 28% across the bacterial population. The concurrent use of a synthetic microbial community, soil matrix, and EcoFAB device provides a controlled and reproducible model to more closely approximate in situ editing of the soil microbiome.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Differential structure and functional gene response to geochemistry associated with the suspended and attached shallow aquifer microbiomes from the Illinois Basin, IL

Despite the clear ecological significance of the microbiomes inhabiting groundwater and connected ecosystems, our current understanding of their habitats, functionality, and the ecological processes controlling their assembly have been limited. In this study, an efficient pipeline combining geochemistry, high-throughput Fluidigm TM functional gene amplification and sequencing was developed to analyze the suspended and attached microbial communities inhabiting five groundwater monitoring wells in the Illinois Basin, USA. The dominant taxa in the suspended and the attached microbial communities exhibited significantly different spatial and temporal changes in both alpha- and beta-diversity. Further analyses of representative functional genes affiliated with N 2 fixation (nifH), methane oxidation (pmoA), and sulfate reduction (dsrB, and aprA), suggested functional redundancy within the shallow aquifer microbiomes. While more diversified functional gene taxa were observed for the suspended microbial communities than the attached ones except for pmoA, different levels of changes over time and space were observed between these functional genes. Notably, deterministic and stochastic ecological processes shaped the assembly of microbial communities and functional gene reservoirs differently. While homogenous selection was the prevailing process controlling assembly of microbial communities, the neutral processes (e.g., dispersal limitation, drift and others) were more important for the functional genes. The results suggest complex and changing shallow aquifer microbiomes, whose functionality and assembly vary even between the spatially proximate habitats and fractions. As a result, this research underscored the importance to include all the interface components for a more holistic understanding of the biogeochemical processes in aquifer ecosystems, which is also instructive for practical applications.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2024

Substrate Matters: Ionic Silver Alters Lettuce Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Root Microbiome in a Hydroponics System

Ionic silver (Ag+) is being investigated as a residual biocide for use in NASA spacecraft potable water systems on future crewed missions. This water will be used to irrigate future spaceflight crop production systems. We have evaluated the impact of three concentrations (31 ppb, 125 ppb, and 500 ppb) of ionic silver biocide solutions on lettuce in an arcillite (calcinated clay particle substrate) and hydroponic (substrate-less) growth setup after 28 days. Lettuce plant growth was reduced in the hydroponic samples treated with 31 ppb silver and severely stunted for samples treated at 125 ppb and 500 ppb silver. No growth defects were observed in arcillite-grown lettuce. Silver was detectable in the hydroponic-grown lettuce leaves at each concentration but was not detected in the arcillite-grown lettuce leaves. Specifically, when 125 ppb silver water was applied to a hydroponics tray, Ag+ was detected at an average amount of 7 μg/g (dry weight) in lettuce leaves. The increase in Ag+ corresponded with a decrease in several essential elements in the lettuce tissue (Ca, K, P, S). In the arcillite growth setup, silver did not impact the plant root zone microbiome in terms of alpha diversity and relative abundance between treatments and control. However, with increasing silver concentration, the alpha diversity increased in lettuce root samples and in the water from the hydroponics tray samples. The genera in the hydroponic root and water samples were similar across the silver concentrations but displayed different relative abundances. This suggests that ionic silver was acting as a selective pressure for the microbes that colonize the hydroponic water. The surviving microbes likely utilized exudates from the stunted plant roots as a carbon source. Analysis of the root-associated microbiomes in response to silver showed enrichment of metagenomic pathways associated with alternate carbon source utilization, fatty-acid synthesis, and the ppGpp (guanosine 3′-diphosphate 5′-diphosphate) stringent response global regulatory system that operates under conditions of environmental stress. Nutrient solutions containing Ag+ in concentrations greater than 31 ppb in hydroponic systems lacking cation-exchange capacity can severely impact crop production due to stunting of plant growth.

lettuce↗
DOE OSTI2021

The novel anti-CRISPR AcrIIA22 relieves DNA torsion in target plasmids and impairs SpyCas9 activity

To overcome CRISPR-Cas defense systems, many phages and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) encode CRISPR-Cas inhibitors called anti-CRISPRs (Acrs). Nearly all characterized Acrs directly bind Cas proteins to inactivate CRISPR immunity. Here, using functional metagenomic selection, we describe AcrIIA22, an unconventional Acr found in hypervariable genomic regions of clostridial bacteria and their prophages from human gut microbiomes. AcrIIA22 does not bind strongly to SpyCas9 but nonetheless potently inhibits its activity against plasmids. To gain insight into its mechanism, we obtained an X-ray crystal structure of AcrIIA22, which revealed homology to PC4-like nucleic acid–binding proteins. Based on mutational analyses and functional assays, we deduced that acrIIA22 encodes a DNA nickase that relieves torsional stress in supercoiled plasmids. This may render them less susceptible to SpyCas9, which uses free energy from negative supercoils to form stable R-loops. Modifying DNA topology may provide an additional route to CRISPR-Cas resistance in phages and MGEs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Microbial community dynamics in the soil-root continuum are linked with plant species turnover during secondary succession

Grazing exclusion and land abandonment are commonly adopted to restore degraded ecosystems in semiarid and arid regions worldwide. However, the temporal variation in the soil- versus root-associated microbiome over plant species turnover during secondary succession has rarely been quantified. Using the chronosequence restored from fenced grassland and abandoned farmlands on the Loess Plateau of China, we characterized the dynamics of the soil- and root-associated microbiome of host plant with different dominance statuses during secondary succession from 0 to 40 years. Our results revealed that the root microhabitat, the host plant and their interactions were the main contributors to the bacterial community shift (R 2 = 15.5%, 8.1%, and 22.3%, respectively), and plant interspecies replacement had a greater effect on the shift in the root-associated microbial community than intraspecies replacement did during succession. The root-associated bacterial community of pioneer plants was particularly responsive to succession, especially the endosphere community. Endosphere microbial diversity was positively correlated with host plant coverage change, and the diversity and abundance of taxon recruitment into the endosphere of pioneer plants from the surrounding environment decreased as succession progressed. The community assembly processes also indicated that the endosphere microbiota are strongly selected in younger host plants, whereas stochastic processes dominate in aged host plants. Our study provides evidence of the unique response of the root-associated microbiome to the replacement of plant species during secondary succession, and the function of endosphere microbes should be considered when studying plant–microbe feedback.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Chronic drought differentially alters the belowground microbiome of drought tolerant and drought susceptible genotypes of Populus trichocarpa

Populus trichocarpa is an ecologically important tree species and economically important biofeedstock. Belowground, P. trichocarpa interacts with diverse microorganisms in the rhizosphere and root endosphere. These plant-microbial interactions can bolster a variety of plant processes, ranging from pathogen suppression to drought tolerance, yet we know little about the impact of chronic drought stress on P. trichocarpa’s belowground microbiomes. To investigate the interactive effect of chronic drought on belowground microbial communities across genetically different P. trichocarpa hosts, we assessed archaeal/bacterial and fungal communities within the root endosphere, rhizosphere, and surrounding bulk soil of selected genotypes in a long-term drought experiment in Boardman, OR, USA. We sequenced the 16S rRNA and ITS2 gene region on samples collected from 16 distinct P. trichocarpa genotypes in plots with full or reduced irrigation. Eight of these genotypes have been previously identified as drought tolerant while the other eight genotypes were drought susceptible. While reduced irrigation influenced the composition of every archaeal/bacterial microbiome compartment, fungal communities were only affected in the rhizosphere and bulk soil compartments. Drought-tolerant bacteria, such as Actinobacteria, were differentially abundant in reduced irrigation across all belowground microbiomes. Host drought-tolerance influenced plant-associated microbiome compartments but had little impact on the bulk soil compartment. Drought-tolerant trees were enriched for potential growth-promoting microorganisms in the root endosphere and rhizosphere, including Sphingomonas bacteria and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Overall, associations of growth-promoting microbes in drought resistant P. trichocarpa genotypes can be leveraged to improve biofeedstock productivity in regions prone to periodic drought.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Active predation, phylogenetic diversity, and global prevalence of myxobacteria in wastewater treatment plants

The operation of modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is driven by activated sludge microbiota, a complex assemblage of trophically interacting microorganisms. Microbial predation is crucial to fundamental understanding of how biological interactions drive microbiome structuring and functioning of WWTPs. However, predatory bacteria have received little attention regarding their diversity, activity, and ecological function in activated sludge, limiting the exploitation of food web interactions for wastewater microbiome engineering. Here, by using rRNA-stable isotope probing of activated sludge microbiota with 13 C-labeled prey bacteria, we uncovered diverse as-yet-uncultivated putative predatory bacteria that actively incorporated 13 C-biomass. Myxobacteria, especially Haliangium and the mle1-27 clade, were found as the dominant active predators, refreshing conventional views based on a few predatory isolates of Bdellovibrionota from WWTPs. The identified predatory bacteria showed more selective predation on prey compared with the protists dominated by ciliates, providing in situ evidence for inter-domain predation behavior divergence in activated sludge. Putative predatory bacteria were tracked over a two-year microbiome monitoring effort at a local WWTP, revealing the predominance of Myxococcota (6.5 ± 1.3%) over Bdellovibrionota (1.0 ± 0.2%) lineages. Phylogenetic analysis unveiled highly diverse myxobacteria inhabiting activated sludge and suggested a habitat filtering effect in global WWTPs. Further mining of a global activated sludge microbiome dataset revealed the prevalence of Myxococcota (5.4 ± 0.1%) species and potential impacts of myxobacterial predation on process performance. Collectively, our findings provided unique insights into the predating activity, diversity, and prevalence of Myxococcota species in activated sludge, highlighting their links with wastewater treatment processes via trophic regulation of enteric and functional bacteria.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗