The scientists studied how to control the process of methane oxidation in the absence of oxygen, using different sulfur compounds as electron acceptors in bioreactors. They focused on enriching specific bacteria and archaea to create a suitable bioreactor for this process at normal pressure and temperature. By testing different substrates and pressures, they found that using thiosulfate led to the highest rates of methane oxidation and sulfate reduction. However, the most ANME were found when sulfate was used as the electron acceptor. This research suggests that biotrickling filters could be a good option for enriching the necessary microorganisms for future biotechnological applications.