Biotechnological potential of microalgae-bacteria consortia in wastewater treatment ​

Wastewater treatment is essential for environmental protection in order to avoid the release of excessive nutrients and pollutants in the aquatic bodies; conventional techniques often have high costs and limited treatment efficacy, particularly in the case of emerging pollutants. Microalgae-bacteria consortia represent a promising and cost effective solution, which combines the metabolic functions of the algae and microbial communities to enhance bioremediation. Through the analysis of two scientific articles, the role of microalgae-bacteria consortia in nutrients and antibiotics removal was highlighted, as well as the types of interactions and bioremediation mechanisms involved in the process. The complementarity between microbial species allowed increased algal growth, via growth factor secretions, as well as increased resistance to cellular damage; moreover, the synergistic interactions are found to be critical in the enhanced biodegradation of organic pollutants. A further step in enhancing wastewater treatment should take into account these types of interactions and the differing species abilities in driving contaminants removal in order to fully exploit the bioremediation potential of microalgae and bacteria, especially for emerging contaminants such as POPs.