Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a well-established biotechnological process wherein a diverse community of interdependent microorganisms, in the absence of oxygen, decomposes organic matter to produce methane-enriched biogas as the primary output. This technology offers a sustainable framework for waste valorization and renewable energy generation, contributing to the reduction of anthropogenic carbon emissions and minimizing environmental impacts.

Optimal performance of this system depends heavily on managing critical parameters such as hydraulic retention time, temperature, pH, and organic loading rate. Despite its known versatility in treating diverse waste types, the underlying dynamics of microbial communities within AD systems remain insufficiently understood. Recent advances in culture-independent methodologies and omics-based approaches, such as taxonomic identification, metabolic activity analysis, and functional characterization, are shedding new light on the microbial dynamics of AD systems for the treatment of organic solid waste.

This Research Topic aims to compile recent progress in the anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste, with a particular focus on microbial studies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Evaluation of the impact of key operational parameters on anaerobic microbiota and their role in the removal of emerging pollutants;

• Investigation of microbial interactions in methane production, including syntrophic relationships and strategies to enhance methane yield;

• Application of advanced omics methodologies such as metatranscriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to assess bioprocess performance and stability;

• Study of microbial interactions influencing chiral lactic acid production, focusing on enantioselectivity, metabolic regulation, and yield enhancement.

Please note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA) profiles or comparisons of nucleic acid extracts (e.g., metagenomics), unless they are accompanied by a clear hypothesis and experimentation and provide insight into the microbiological system or process being studied.

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Microbial Functions in Anaerobic Digestion Systems for Solid Waste Treatment