The　aerobic　granular　sludge　(AGS)　process　is　a　promising　technology　for　wastewater　treatment.　However,　a　long　start-up　period　for　granulation　and　instability　during　long-term　operation　still　hinder　the　application　of　AGS　technology,　especially　for　low-strength　wastewater.　To　solve　these　two　problems,　this　study　tested　a　novel　strategy　involving　the　selection　of　slow-growing　organisms　and　the　addition　of　carriers　in　an　anaerobic-aerobicanoxic　sequencing　batch　reactor　(AN/O/AX_SBR).　Three　identical　AN/O/AX_SBRs　(R_Ctrl,　R_CCM,　and　R_GAC),　fed　with　low-strength　wastewater,　were　operated　for　120　days.　R_Ctrl　had　no　carriers,　R_CCM　contained　cell　culture　microcarriers　(CCM),　and　R_GAC　contained　granular　activated　carbon　(GAC).　Mature　AGS　was　achieved　within　80　days　in　all　reactors.　The　carriers　could　reduce　the　maturation　period　of　AGS　by　approximately　10　days　(76,　66,　and　69　days　in　R_Ctrl,　R_CCM,　and　R_GAC,　respectively)　and　improve　the　physical　strength　of　the　AGS.　AGS　showed　a　strong　structure　without　excessive　proliferation　of　filamentous　bacteria,　full-grown　size　(900-1100　mu　m),　and　good　settleability　(SVI5　was　15.4-19.4　mL/g).　Microbiological　analysis　showed　that　AN/O/　AX_SBRs　can　provide　a　metabolic　selective　pressure　to　select　slow-growing　organisms　such　as　nitrifying　bacteria　(norank_f__NS9_marine_group,　Ellin6067,　and　Nitrospira),　glycogen　and　phosphorus　accumulating　organisms　(GAOs:　Candidatus_Competibacter　and　Defluviicoccus;　PAOs:　Candidatus_Accumulibacter　and　Flavobacterium).　All　reactors　showed　good　performance　for　simultaneous　nitrification,　endogenous　denitrification,　and　phosphorus　removal.　The　removal　efficiencies　of　total　nitrogen　and　total　phosphorous　were　above　70%　and　80%,　respectively.　The　cycle　test　showed　intermediate　PAO-GAO　metabolism　prevailed　in　the　system,　and　endogenous　denitrification　was　primarily　carried　out　by　denitrifying　GAOs.