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Summary: Pseudomonas sp. CSV86, an Indian soil isolate, degrades wide range of aromatic compounds like naphthalene, benzoate and phenylpropanoids, amongst others. Isolate displays the unique and novel property of preferential utilization of aromatics over glucose and co‐metabolizes them with organic acids. Interestingly, as compared to other Pseudomonads, strain CSV86 harbours only high‐affinity glucokinase pathway (and absence of low‐affinity oxidative route) for glucose metabolism. Such lack of gluconate loop might be responsible for the novel phenotype of preferential utilization of aromatics. The genome analysis and comparative functional mining indicated a large genome (6.79 Mb) with significant enrichment of regulators, transporters as well as presence of various secondary metabolite production clusters, suggesting its eco‐physiological and metabolic versatility. Strain harbours various integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) and genomic islands, probably acquired through horizontal gene transfer events, leading to genome mosaicity and plasticity. Naphthalene degradation genes are arranged as regulonic clusters and found to be part of ICECSV86nah. Various eco‐physiological properties and absence of major pathogenicity and virulence factors (risk group‐1) in CSV86 suggest it to be an ideal candidate for bioremediation. Further, strain can serve as an ideal chassis for metabolic engineering to degrade various xenobiotics preferentially over simple carbon sources for efficient remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the catabolic repertoire of natural bacteria for biodegradation of plastics is one of the priority areas of biotechnology research. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is recalcitrant and poses serious threats to our environment. The present study explored the LDPE biodegradation potential of aerobic bacteria enriched from municipal waste dumpsite and bentonite based drilling fluids from a deep subsurface drilling operation. Considerable bacterial growth coupled with significant weight loss of the LDPE beads (∼8%), change in pH to acidic condition and biofilm cell growth around the beads (CFU count 105–106/cm2) were noted for two samples (P and DF2). The enriched microbial consortia thus obtained displayed high (65–90%) cell surface hydrophobicity, confirming their potential toward LDPE adhesion as well as biofilm formation. Two LDPE degrading bacterial strains affiliated to Stenotrophomonas sp. and Achromobacter sp. were isolated as pure culture from P and DF2 enrichments. 16S rRNA gene sequences of these isolates indicated their taxonomic novelty. Further biodegradation studies provided strong evidence toward the LDPE metabolizing ability of these two organisms. Atomic Fore Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed considerable damage (in terms of formation of cracks, grooves, etc.) on the micrometric surface of the LDPE film. Analysis of the average roughness (Ra), root mean square roughness (Rq), average height (Rz), maximum peak height (Rp), and maximum valley depth (Rv) (nano-roughness parameters) through AFM indicated 2–3 fold increase in nano-roughness of the LDPE film. FTIR analysis suggested incorporation of alkoxy (1000–1090 cm–1), acyl (1220 cm–1), nitro (1500–1600 cm–1), carbonyl (1720 cm–1) groups into the carbon backbone, formation of N-O stretching (1360 cm–1) and chain scission (905 cm–1) in the microbially treated LDPEs. Increase in carbonyl index (15–20 fold), double bond index (1.5–2 fold) and terminal double bond index (30–40 fold) confirmed that biodegraded LDPEs had undergone oxidation, vinylene formation and chain scission. The data suggested that oxidation and dehydrogenation could be the key steps allowing formation of low molecular weight products suitable for their further mineralization by the test bacteria. The study highlighted LDPE degrading ability of natural bacteria and provided the opportunity for their development in plastic remediation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic biodegradation potential of bacteria from petroleum refinery waste was investigated through isolation of cultivable strains and their characterization. Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. populated the normal cultivable taxa while prolonged enrichment with hydrocarbons and crude oil yielded hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria of genera Burkholderia , Enterobacter , Kocuria , Pandoraea , etc. Strains isolated through enrichment showed assemblages of superior metabolic properties: utilization of aliphatic (C6-C22) and polyaromatic compounds, anaerobic growth with multiple terminal electron acceptors and higher biosurfactant production. Biodegradation of dodecane was studied thoroughly by GC–MS along with detection of gene encoding alkane hydroxylase ( alk B). Microcosms bioaugmented with Enterobacter , Pandoraea and Burkholderia strains showed efficient biodegradation (98% TPH removal) well fitted in first order kinetic model with low rate constants and decreased half-life. This study proves that catabolically efficient bacteria resides naturally in complex petroleum refinery wastes and those can be useful for bioaugmentation based bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient deficiency severely impairs the catabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms in hydrocarbon rich environments (HREs) and limits the rate of intrinsic bioremediation. The present study aimed to characterize the microbial community in refinery waste and evaluate the scope for biostimulation based in situ bioremediation. Samples recovered from the wastewater lagoon of Guwahati refinery revealed a hydrocarbon enriched [high total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)], oxygen-, moisture-limited, reducing environment. Intrinsic biodegradation ability of the indigenous microorganisms was enhanced significantly (>80% reduction in TPH by 90 days) with nitrate amendment. Preferred utilization of both higher- (>C30) and middle- chain (C20-30) length hydrocarbons were evident from GC-MS analysis. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and community level physiological profiling analyses indicated distinct shift in community's composition and metabolic abilities following nitrogen (N) amendment. High throughput deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene showed that the native community was mainly composed of hydrocarbon degrading, syntrophic, methanogenic, nitrate/iron/sulfur reducing facultative anaerobic bacteria and archaebacteria, affiliated to γ- and δ- Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota respectively. Genes for aerobic and anaerobic alkane metabolism (alkB and bssA), methanogenesis (mcrA), denitrification (nirS and narG) and N2 fixation (nifH) were detected. Concomitant to hydrocarbon degradation, lowering of dissolve O2 and increase in oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) marked with an enrichment of N2 fixing, nitrate reducing aerobic/facultative anaerobic members [e.g., Azovibrio, Pseudoxanthomonas and Comamonadaceae members] was evident in N amended microcosm. This study highlighted that indigenous community of refinery sludge was intrinsically diverse, yet appreciable rate of in situ bioremediation could be achieved by supplying adequate N sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]