Systems and methods of creating a biofilm for the reduction of water contamination

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system may reduce contaminants in water. A system may include a biofilm in a container. The biofilm may be formed from one or more bacteria coupled to one or more substrates. The bacteria may be selected to maximize the reduction of contaminants in water. The system may include one or more bacteria generators to provide bacteria to the biofilm and/or one or more air sources to provide an air bubble stream to the container and/or the bacteria generator. In some embodiments, bacteria may be preserved in a starvation phase. Bacteria may be incubated until they reach a starvation phase. The bacteria may then be preserved as beads or immobilized on a substrate. The preserved bacteria may be used in a system for the reduction of contaminants in water.

1 . A biofilm for treatment of wastewater comprising: 
 one or more primary adherer bacteria capable of coupling to a substrate;    one or more secondary adherer bacteria capable of coupling to at least a portion of one or more of the primary adherers; and    wherein at least one of the primary adherer bacteria and/or secondary adherer bacteria is capable of reducing a greater amount of at least one contaminant in wastewater in the sessile state than in the planktonic state.    
   
   
       2 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein the primary adherer bacteria comprises: 
 bacteria in the genus  Gordonia ; and    bacteria in the genus  Caulobacter.      
   
   
       18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary adherer bacteria comprises: 
 bacteria in the genus  Pseudomonas;      bacteria in the genus  Bacillus;      bacteria in the genus  Enterobacter ; and    bacteria in the genus  Zoogloea ; and    bacteria in the genus  Agrobacterium.      
   
   
       20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary adherer bacteria comprises a stalk capable of coupling with the substrate.  
   
   
       22 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary adherer bacteria comprises filaments capable of coupling with other bacteria and/or the substrate.  
   
   
       25 - 26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary adherer bacteria comprises bacteria capable of binding with a hydrophobic substrate.  
   
   
       28 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary adherer bacteria comprises bacteria capable of coupling with a substrate such that the bacteria is inhibited from being dislodged from the substrate during use.  
   
   
       29 - 31 . (canceled)  
   
   
       32 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the secondary adherer bacteria comprise filaments.  
   
   
       33 - 76 . (canceled)  
   
   
       77 . A method of treating wastewater comprising: 
 allowing one or more primary adherer bacteria to reproduce in one or more bacteria generators, wherein a primary adherer bacteria is capable of coupling to a substrate;    allowing one or more secondary adherer bacteria to reproduce in one or more of the bacteria generators, wherein a secondary adherer bacteria is capable of coupling to at least a portion of a primary adherer bacteria, and wherein the secondary adherer bacteria is capable of reducing contaminants in water during use;    allowing a biofilm comprising one or more of the primary adherer bacteria and one or more of the secondary adherer bacteria to form in a container.    
   
   
       78 . The method of  claim 77 , further comprising introducing wastewater into the container.  
   
   
       79 - 111 . (canceled)  
   
   
       112 . A method for reducing foaming in a wastewater treatment system comprising: 
 introducing one or more hydrophobic substrates in one or more containers, wherein one or more of the containers comprise one or more bacteria, and wherein at least one of the bacteria comprises bacteria in the order Actinomycetales and/or bacteria in the order Thiotrichales, and wherein at least one of the bacteria is configured to reduce contaminants in water; and    reducing foaming in at least one of the containers by allowing at least a portion of the bacteria in the order Actinomycetales and/or bacteria in the order Thiotrichales to couple to at least one of the hydrophobic substrates    
   
   
       113 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein at least one of the bacteria in the order Actinomycetales is in the suborder Corynebacterineae.  
   
   
       114 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein at least one of the bacteria in the order Thiotrichales is in the family Thiotrichaceae.  
   
   
       115 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein at least one of the bacteria in one or more of the containers is of the genus  Gordonia, Nocardia, Thiothrix, Beggiatoa , or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       116 - 130 . (canceled)  
   
   
       131 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the wastewater treatment system continues to operate during introduction of one or more of the hydrophobic substrates into the system.  
   
   
       132 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein foaming in the container is substantially reduced or substantially eliminated by allowing at least a portion of the bacteria in the order Actinomycetales and/or bacteria in the order Thiotrichales to couple to at least one of the hydrophobic substrates.  
   
   
       133 . (canceled)  
   
   
       134 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the secondary adherer bacteria comprises bacteria in the genus  Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Agrobacterium, Enterobacter, Zoogloea, Gordonia, Caulobacter , or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       135 . The biofilm of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the secondary adherer bacteria comprises  Pseudomonas stutzeri, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus subtilis, Agrobacterium  sp.,  Enterobacter cloacae, Zoogloea  sp,  Gordonia  sp.,  Caulobacter vibrioides , or  Caulobacter crescentus , or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       136 . The method of  claim 77 , further comprising providing bacteria in the genus  Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Agrobacterium, Enterobacter, Zoogloea, Gordonia, Caulobacter , or a combination thereof to at least one of the bacteria generators.  
   
   
       137 . The method of  claim 77 , further comprising providing  Pseudomonas stutzeri, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus subtilis, Agrobacterium  sp.,  Enterobacter cloacae, Zoogloea  sp,  Gordonia  sp.,  Caulobacter vibrioides , or  Caulobacter crescentus , or a combination thereof to at least one of the bacteria generators.