Assessing microbial communities for a metabolic profile similar to activated sludge.

To search for reliable testing inocula alternatives to activated sludge cultures, several model microbial consortia were compared with activated sludge populations for their functional diversity. The evaluation of the metabolic potential of these mixed inocula was performed using the Biolog EcoPlates and GN and GP MicroPlates (Biolog, Inc., Hayward, California). The community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) obtained for model communities and activated sludge samples were analyzed by principal component analysis and hierarchic clustering methods, to evaluate the ability of Biolog plates to distinguish among the different microbial communities. The effect of different inocula preparation methodologies on the community structure was also studied. The CLPPs obtained with EcoPlates and GN MicroPlates showed that EcoPlates are suitable to screen communities with a metabolic profile similar to activated sludge. New, well-defined, standardized, and safe inocula presenting the same metabolic community profile as activated sludge were selected and can be tested as surrogate cultures in activated-sludge-based bioassays.