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Abstract. With the increasing public concern over the harmful consequences of eutrophication (excess nutrients in water systems), innovative nutrient-control processes are urgently required in many wastewater-treatment plants (WWTP). Dissolved nitrogen in wastewater is one of the major problems that has the potential to cause sever harmful algal bloom especially in coastal areas. Elevated nitrogen concentration was found in WWTPs due to the breakdown of nitrogen containing biological organic compounds (protein, nucleotide, etc.). Although some dissolved nitrogen is consumed in the activated sludge basin (aerobic basin), the imbalanced stoichiometry in the wastewater limits the nitrogen removal in an activated sludge basin only system. Microalgae and bacteria are naturally and closely working together to conduct elemental cycling (including nitrogen cycling) in the environment. A proper combination of microalgae and aerobic bacteria hold the potential to significantly increase the nitrogen removal efficiency in a WWTP. Our preliminary research shown an increase of algal biomass production when algae were co-cultured with activated sludge in primary wastewater compare to axenically growing algae in the same wastewater. In that case, this algal-bacterial system can achieve wastewater treatment and biomass production simultaneously. In this study, we will further investigate and understand the biomass production and nutrient transformation and assimilation in this algal-bacterial wastewater treatment system.