Application of Molecular Biology in the Wastewater Treatment

Due to the huge structural complexity of granular sludge and the many trophic interactions among the microbial populations required to transform complex organic matter into biogas (CO₂ and CH₄), the microbial ecology of micro ecosystem is still not understood. Microbial ecology techniques, such as 16SrRNA, gene cloning and sequencing. Fluorescence insitu hybridization and denatured gradient gel electrophoresis are now a days the most powerful tool available to access the diversity, abundance and distribution of microorganisms in natural and engineered ecosystems, superceding the restrictions and bias of conventional microbiology technique.

The ability of molecular methods to provide high information not attained by traditional methods. They directly interrogate the genetic information contained by the microorganisms composting the microbial community. The effective use of molecular biology to improve biological treatment processes is that molecular methods most important complements to more traditional measures and quantitative analysis. An appropriate scientific basis of new molecular data exits to effectively use these tools toward increased understanding of complex waste treatment environment. From the literature it has been amply reviewed that the best molecular biology tools to serve as an identity for accessing and quantitatively determining the microbial community, existing in conventional wastewater treatment systems.