Regulation of microbial activity based on quorum sensing: Implications for biological wastewater treatment

Abstract

Microbial activity regulated by quorum sensing (QS) can directly mediate microbial growth, reproduction and thus better adaptation to the external environment. In addition, microbial activity can influence microbial community structure to achieve more efficient degradation in wastewater treatment. Currently, the applied researches on QS-regulated microbial activity to enhance the performance of wastewater biological treatment had been widely reported, but there is a lack of review on the research on QS to enhance the functional level of microbial activity in microbial systems. In this paper, we explored the possible mechanisms of QS regulation of microbial activity from the perspectives of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and biofilm structure, and reviewed the effects of QS on microbial activity. By synthesizing the function of QS in the regulation of microbial activity, the application of QS regulated microbial activity in wastewater biological treatment was further pointed out. On this basis, the metabolism and reproduction of microorganisms in wastewater can be more deeply understood and controlled, and it is proposed that the future focus on in-depth exploration of QS micro-mechanism, and further study the general applicability of QS regulation of microbial activity in actual wastewater treatment.