Microalgal-bacterial granular sludge: bridging the gap between laboratory discovery and engineering reality
- 1Department of Water and Wastewater Engineering, School of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology
Abstract
Microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) has been extensively studied as a promising process for energy-efficient and carbon-neutral wastewater treatment. The self-sustaining synergy of this process has been validated under laboratory conditions, and CO₂ supplementation has been shown to push the system toward carbon-negative operation. However, the technology remains largely confined to laboratory benchtops, with most studies conducted under constant conditions using synthetic wastewater. Existing reviews have mainly summarized performance or individual operational factors, but have not translated these findings into a coherent engineering framework for scalable deployment. Based on a comprehensive synthesis of past review articles and experimental studies, this Perspective proposes seven testable and, where possible, quantifiable engineering perspectives: dynamic diel carbon management for net greenhouse gas removal, active microbiome engineering for targeted pollutant degradation, multi-layer stacked photobioreactors with integrated light-guide systems, self-cleaning reactor walls to overcome biofouling, integrated design strategies for simultaneous shear delivery and light utilization in a single reactor, hydrocyclone-based physical selection for long-term stability, and tiered biorefinery with integrated life-cycle assessment. The key advance is not the individual concepts themselves, but their integration into a coordinated, hypothesis-driven framework that shifts the focus from laboratory feasibility to scalable engineering implementation. These perspectives are grounded in established knowledge and offered as testable hypotheses to guide the next generation of research and development toward full-scale deployment.
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BibTeX
@article{ji2026microalgalbacterial,
title = {{Microalgal-bacterial granular sludge: bridging the gap between laboratory discovery and engineering reality}},
author = {Bin Ji},
journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1967626},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1967626/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Microalgal-bacterial granular sludge: bridging the gap between laboratory discovery and engineering reality
AU - Bin Ji
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1967626
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1967626/full
AB - Microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) has been extensively studied as a promising process for energy-efficient and carbon-neutral wastewater treatment. The self-sustaining synergy of this process has been validated under laboratory conditions, and CO₂ supplementation has been shown to push the system toward carbon-negative operation. However, the technology remains largely confined to laboratory benchtops, with most studies conducted under constant conditions using synthetic wastewater. Existing reviews have mainly summarized performance or individual operational factors, but have not translated these findings into a coherent engineering framework for scalable deployment. Based on a comprehensive synthesis of past review articles and experimental studies, this Perspective proposes seven testable and, where possible, quantifiable engineering perspectives: dynamic diel carbon management for net greenhouse gas removal, active microbiome engineering for targeted pollutant degradation, multi-layer stacked photobioreactors with integrated light-guide systems, self-cleaning reactor walls to overcome biofouling, integrated design strategies for simultaneous shear delivery and light utilization in a single reactor, hydrocyclone-based physical selection for long-term stability, and tiered biorefinery with integrated life-cycle assessment. The key advance is not the individual concepts themselves, but their integration into a coordinated, hypothesis-driven framework that shifts the focus from laboratory feasibility to scalable engineering implementation. These perspectives are grounded in established knowledge and offered as testable hypotheses to guide the next generation of research and development toward full-scale deployment.
SN - 1664-302X
ER -