STANDARD ASSAYS AND METAPROTEOMES AS NEW APPROACHES FOR FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR BIOMASS

EPS and SMP were often reported as a possible cause of membrane biofouling, but unequivocal relationships in this respect have hardly been demonstrated. A closer examination of EPS and SMP as possible tools to investigate the linkage between biofouling and enzymatic activity may provide interesting information. In particular, the high abundance of high molecular weight polysaccharides and proteins in the matrix of EPS and SMP has made DNA and RNA examination impractical for functional gene expression studies. Therefore a new approach called "metaproteomics" has been recently proposed for investigating environmental samples and activated sludge. This study provides background information for an on-going experimental work on MBR biomass characterization with innovative tools.