Hydrophobicities and electrophoretic mobilities of anaerobic bacterial isolates from methanogenic granular sludge

Abstract

The hydrophobicities and electrophoretic mobilities of isolates from methanogenic anaerobic granular sludge were measured and compared with those of strains from culture collections. All new isolates were highly hydrophobic, indicating that the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor concept selects for hydrophobic bacteria. Methanothrix soehngenii, a methanogen often observed in methanogenic granular sludge, was highly hydrophobic and showed low electrophoretic mobility at pH 7. The role of this strain in the formation of methanogenic granular sludge is discussed.