Quorum sensing and quenching: A microbial dial for carbon-neutral wastewater treatment (IMAGE)
Caption
Quorum sensing and quenching: A microbial dial for carbon-neutral wastewater treatment. This schematic summarizes how quorum sensing (QS) and quorum quenching (QQ) control greenhouse gas emissions (N₂O and CH₄), energy consumption, and methane recovery in wastewater treatment. QS promotes sludge granulation, flocculation, and direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) to cut aeration costs and boost CH₄ production, while QQ helps reduce membrane biofouling and unwanted N₂O accumulation. The balance between QS and QQ ultimately decides whether a treatment plant becomes an energy sink or a power source.
Credit
Environmental Science and Ecotechnology
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CC BY-NC-ND