Insights into Leveraging Alga–Bacterium Cooperation for Dairy Wastewater Valorization

The enhancement of algal growth is more pronounced under aerobic conditions, and the supply of ammonium through bacterial proteolytic activity, and possibly also acetic acid, are key factors for algal growth. Cocultures can reduce up to 57.6 % of the bacterial CO2 emissions. In contrast, S. liquefaciens did not depend on C. reinhardtii to grow successfully in DWW and can produce a substantial amount of bioH2 (200.7 mL·L-1) in 48 h.

However, the presence of the alga enhances the bacterium´s viability and persistence. This study provides valuable insights into harnessing the metabolic specialization of diverse microalgal and bacterial species to design tailored consortia capable of exploiting the broad spectrum of nutrient sources in wastewater, enabling more robust and effective biotechnological applications