Anaerobic bioreactors are engineered vessels that maintain biological transformations in an environment without supplied molecular oxygen. Their microbial populations convert organic material through anaerobic pathways, including digestion processes that produce methane from biomass [1]. Accumulating compounds such as ammonia, sulfide, or organic inhibitors can alter the activity of the participating microorganisms [2]. Biomass can remain suspended or associate with particles and surfaces, creating spatially organized communities in which intermediate products pass between metabolic groups [3]. Reactor processes can support methanogenesis, hydrogen production, or formation of soluble fermentation products, according to the organisms and operating conditions. Feed delivery, mixing, gas removal, and biomass retention connect the reactor's physical organization to substrate conversion and the maintenance of its anaerobic community [4][5].
Microbial metabolism and enzyme function·Molecular Biology·Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology·Life Sciences