Long-term multi-meta-omics resolves the ecophysiological controls of seasonal N2O emissions during wastewater treatment

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is the third most important greenhouse gas and originates primarily from natural and engineered microbiomes. Effective emission mitigations are currently hindered by the largely unresolved ecophysiological controls of coexisting N₂O-converting metabolisms in complex communities. To address this, we used biological wastewater treatment as a model ecosystem and combined long-term metagenome-resolved metaproteomics with ex situ kinetic and full-scale operational characterization over nearly 2 years. By leveraging the evidence independently obtained at multiple ecophysiological levels, from individual genetic potential to actual metabolism and emergent community phenotype, the cascade of environmental and operational triggers driving seasonal N₂O emissions has ultimately been resolved. We identified nitrifier denitrification as the dominant N₂O-producing pathway and dissolved O₂ as the prime operational parameter, paving the way to the design and fostering of robust emission control strategies. This work exemplifies the untapped potential of multi-meta-omics in the mechanistic understanding and ecological engineering of microbiomes towards reducing anthropogenic impacts and advancing sustainable biotechnological developments.