Revolutionary microbe enables resilient renewable energy from food waste

Revolutionary microbe enables resilient renewable energy from food waste
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 24, 2025

A research team at the University of British Columbia has discovered a new bacterium in the Natronincolaceae family that significantly contributes to producing renewable natural gas at Surrey Biofuel Facility. Each year, 115000 tonnes of food waste are processed as billions of microbes transform organic matter into energy. The facility's process centers on breaking food scraps into fatty acids, amino acids, and sugars, which are then converted into organic acids such as acetic acid. Methane-producing organisms feed on acetic acid and generate methane, which is refined into renewable natural gas. The newly identified microbe is a crucial member of these methane producers.

The scientists published their findings in Nature Microbiology, led by Dr. Ryan Ziels. During an investigation at Surrey's Biofuel Facility, they noticed that traditional microbes responsible for consuming acetic acid were absent, but methane production persisted. "We were studying microbial energy production in the Surrey Biofuel Facility when we noticed something odd: the microbes that usually consume acetic acid had vanished, yet the methane kept flowing," said Dr. Ziels. "Traditional methods couldn't identify the organisms doing the heavy lifting."

To pinpoint the key players, UBC researchers utilized nutrient tagging with heavier isotopes of carbon. By tracing the carbon incorporated into proteins, they determined which microbes were active. "Converting waste to methane is a cooperative process involving multiple interacting microbes," explained Dr. Steven Hallam, co-author. "This newly identified bacterium is one of the key players making it happen."

Protein-rich food waste produces ammonia during breakdown. High ammonia levels may halt methane production and allow acetic acid to accumulate, making tanks acidic and inefficient. The new bacterium tolerates high ammonia concentrations, sustaining methane generation even when other microbes would falter. "Municipal facilities owe a lot to these organisms," stated Dr. Ziels. "If acetic acid builds up, tanks have to be dumped and restarted-an expensive, messy process."

The research reveals why some digesters maintain effective methane production under difficult conditions while others fail, and suggests that key microbes thrive in high-ammonia environments-offering guidance for improved biofuel facility designs. The team is also employing molecular tagging to detect bacteria that degrade microplastics in marine environments, expanding the prospects for environmental management.

Collaborators included Fortis BC, Convertus, and U.S. Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. The project highlights the pivotal role of understudied microbes in enabling cleaner energy solutions and improved waste management worldwide.

"We're delighted to help support British Columbia's research ecosystem that has the potential for real-world impact. Advancements like this-that deepen our understanding of anaerobic digestion-may have the potential to enable facilities like Surrey Biofuels to produce more Renewable Natural Gas from the same amount of organic waste. Collaborations between UBC, FortisBC and the Surrey Biofuel facility continue to strengthen our ability to support lower carbon energy solutions." - Jamie King, director, innovation and measurement, FortisBC

"At our Surrey facility, we strive to maintain a stable microbial community in order to achieve the benefits of RNG as a clean biofuel. If stability is compromised, this has significant financial implications as production schedules must be adjusted and we would have to re-start from scratch." - Felizia Crozier, process support engineer, Convertus Group

Research Report:Activity-targeted metaproteomics uncovers rare syntrophic bacteria central to anaerobic community metabolism