Raskin 9410476 This is an award to provide support for research on the causes and control of foaming in aerobic and anaerobic, suspended growth bioreactors. The investigator plans on designing oligonucleotide rRNA-targeted probes that are specific for identifying several foam-causing microorganisms. The probes will be used to study and characterize the conditions that lead to foaming and the microbiological flora associated with foaming in bioreactors that are used in waste treatment processes. Foaming is a problem commonly associated with bioreactors used in wastewater treatment processes and in the processing of residuals produced during the treatment process. The foaming problem is frequently associated with conditions that result in dominance by filamentous microorganisms in the reactors. Results of this research are expected to provide new insights into the causes of foaming and the potential for its control. This knowledge is expected to be applied in improving the operation of existing bioreactors and in improving the engineering design of systems utilizing bioreactors. The proposal leading to this award was submitted in accord with NSF 92-122, Research Initiation Awards Program. ***
