Bug of the Month: Bacteriophages and Their Possible Role in Removing Undesirable Bacteria

There is emerging literature about viruses in biological wastewater treatment and how they may impact wastewater bacteria and subsequent processes. Bacteria of vast genetic diversity, the wastewater influent and the characteristics in the aeration basin all play important roles in selection of bacteria, sludge quality and overall treatment performance, but little is known about the impact of viruses on wastewater bacteria. Bacteriophages (informally known as “phages”) are viruses that replicate within bacteria and archaea. Phages are simple in structure and significantly smaller than bacteria. Phages commonly produce a lytic infection cycle in which the phage adheres to bacteria, injects its genome