Comparison of bacterial community structures in two systems of a sewage treatment plant using PCR-DGGE analysis

The combination of PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis was used to reveal the compositions and dynamics of bacterial communities in a sewage treatment plant with two systems, i.e., an anoxic- anaerobic-aerobic system (inverted A2O) and an anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic one (conventional A2O) over a period from February to July 2009, during which both systems experienced serious sludge bulking problems. The DGGE patterns showed that there were many commo...