What's in a name and ID?

 Obviously as new techniques for lab testing, more global communications between industries and more scientific studies are undertaken, more and more species will be discovered.

There are now a group of organisms that in the past were all lumped together during a filamentous identification. Newer testing exists such as FISH and DNA sequencing, are getting more and more technical.

Nocardia pinensis can been changed to Skermania piniformis.

Nocardia amarae has recently been reclassified as Gordona amarae

Some Nocardia have been classified as Actinomycetes

Are you getting confused yet?

Is it really critical in wastewater? Do you need a PhD to figure it all out? Does it matter and how is it going to help you with solving your problems at your plant?

We have listed a few names below that have changed. For the purpose of this book, we are going to stick with

Nocardia as branching filaments- gram positive that cause foaming and bulking.

We have seen tons of different types of "Nocardia". Guess what, they all are usually caused by the same thing and the process controls are the same. Our goal is not to be so overly technical, but to help you solve a problem in your plant. You do not really win any awards if you get the absolute correct name. You just probably spent a lot of time studying it and getting "technical"

Let's get back to solving the problems in the wastewater treatment plant.

If the naming systems change significantly, the characteristics or causes and controls are meaningful, we will most certainly update our books, websites and photos. At this point, we are trying to stick with the title,  Filamentous ID for dummies, not Ph.D. masters!  So hopefully, you are not upset or feel like the technical information is incorrect.

Read the sections below if you want to get technical.  If not, skip to the next sections and enjoy!!

NALO or GALO
(Nocardia) Shorter branched filaments with branches at approximately right angles (so called "Nocardia" or Nocardia amarae-like organisms (NALO), but since N.amarae has recently been reclassified as Gordona amarae these are now sometimes called Gordona amarae like organisms or GALO). All are members of the mycolata (mycolic acid producing organisms) and may belong to genera such as Nocardia, Gordona, Rhodococcus, Tsukamurella, Dietzia and Mycobacterium PTLO
1000x Gram stain Nocardia or NALO

Nocardia pinensis

Skermania piniformis This organism used to be called Nocardia pinensis but it has morphology sufficiently different to allow identification in its own right. For a while, this organism was called PTLO (Pine Tree-Like Organism) because of its tree-like branching morphology. It has been re-classified as Skermania piniformis.

Notice how the gram staining is more variable. Neisser staining is slightly different than the traditional Nocardia like organisms also, Neisser is more variable with dark purple spots in similar sections.

1000x Gram stain PTLO

"Actinomycetes" These are gram positive branched rods without the distinctive branching patterns of NALO and Skermania piniformis. This category includes coryneform bacteria. These are members of the mycolata.   Acinetobacter sp  Actinomycetes

You can see on this Neisser stain below, three different species of "Nocardia" in the same sample

200x Phase contrast Actinomycetes-right

What is interesting though, is they all cause foaming in a wastewater treatment plant. Process changes are very similar and do not change from species to species, only if the cause is different.

1000x Neisser Stain Nocardia forms three types

These filaments may be found in environments where there is low F/M (0.08-0.35 lbs BOD) and with a long MCRT (10-40 days). Usually high wastewater grease, oil and fat content are the main cause. They are found more commonly in the warmer temperatures.

Some studies don't differentiate between Types 0041 and 0675. We have seen a type of 0041 that is branching and fits no current descriptions, yet fits with causes and controls.

There are definitely more than one species of Type 021N as we have shown you in our own photos.

Thiothrix now has many species. Leucothrix is typically a marine species, but is getting mention in wastewater environments lately. Leptothrix, which is a typical inhabitant of metal-rich streams

1000x Gram stain Filament similar to 0041 but with false branching

N limicola has many different looks. Here is one version where the filament is basically gram variable, most of it negative, but the distinguishing features of the cell shape, septa and some Neisser negative still make it easy to tell this is a form of N. Limicola. 1000x Neisser Stain N. limcola two strains.

There are numerous debates on N limicola III vs. Isosphaera and even which filament is N limicola III

Now we have even another way to make it harder and more confusing for normal lab personnel and operators to identify filaments. 

FISH- Fluorescent in situ Hybridization

How many organisms of the same Type with slight DNA changes determines a new “species”

It seems every PhD researcher is trying to build a name by creating "new species"

The 15 Eikelboom type 021N bacteria that were investigated were divided into three distinct groups (I to III) on the basis of their genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. The creation of two novel species is proposed, Thiothrix disciformis sp. nov. for the group I strains (type strain B3-1(T)=JCM 11364(T)=DSM 14473(T)) and Thiothrix flexilis sp. nov. for the group III strains (type strain EJ2M-B(T)=JCM 11135(T)=DSM 14609(T)).

Stick to “groupings”

Group the filament types by causes and control

The main point in a filamentous identification is not to obtain a PhD but to fix your wwtp!

There are only so many causes and controls -Work on problem solving

For more information on Filamentous Identification

If you need more information on our ©Filamentous Identification the Easy Way™ Training CD or on Internet training on Filamentous bacteria, causes and controls

How and why on Wastewater Biomass Analyses

Wastewater Training Classes

Wastewater Training CD's