Development and validation of a microarray for the identification of microorganisms responsible for bulking and foaming in WWTPs

A prototype microarray was developed, composed of 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes covering all species relevant to foaming or bulking, including group-specific probes for the taxonomic levels of genus, family and higher. The probes were in situ synthesized on a microfluidic biochip or spotted on a glass-based array. Pure cultures were used to validate the system. Two labeling techniques (random and 16S rRNA specific) were compared and annealing and melting profiles were recorded. The first results presented here demonstrate that the technique is able to discriminate between match and mismatch probes. However, further optimization is needed to increase specificity.