Metabolic variation among strains of Acinetobacter isolated from activated sludge

When the carbon substrate utilisation profiles of a large number of Acinetobacter isolates from a biological nutrient removal plant were determined using the Biolog system considerable variation was seen, even within individual genospecies. Only a very small percentage of isolates had identical patterns. Similar diversity was also seen in the ability of these strains to synthesise poly β hydroxybutyrate and polyphosphate in pure culture. Such data must raise questions about the current models for biological phosphorus removal, based as they are on an incomplete understanding of the physiology of Acinetobacter strains from waste treatment systems.