Gordonia amarae and similar bacteria have sticky, hydrophobic outer layers of mycolic acid. It is these layers that are primarily responsible for stable foams. Candidatus Mycosynbacter amalyticus is one of many “dark matter” bacteria, a term used for microbes whose roles and interactions in wastewater environments are not yet understood. It is an “obligate necrotrophic parasite,” which means it specifically derives nutrients by killing its host. Mycosynbacter amalyticus attacks by attaching to the mycolic acid layer of Gordonia amarae and similar species to infect and consume the host. This parasitic action actually reduces the population of foam-causing Gordonia amarae, thereby mitigating the foaming issue