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A yellow-pigmented, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium, strain CC-TPE-1T, was isolated from oil-contaminated soil near an oil refinery located in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain CC-TPE-1T showed highest sequence similarity to Novosphingobium naphthalenivorans TUT562T (98.1 %), N. panipatense SM16T (97.9 %) and N. mathurense SM117T (97.6 %) and lower (Novosphingobium species. DNA–DNA hybridizations of strain CC-TPE-1T with N. naphthalenivorans DSM 18518T, N. panipatense SM16T and N. mathurense SM117T showed low relatedness of 30 % (reciprocal 35 %), 29.1 % (reciprocal 30.6 %) and 35 % (reciprocal 23.6 %), respectively. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10, the predominant fatty acid was C18 : 1 ω7c (49.9 %) and three 2-hydroxy fatty acids, C14 : 0 2-OH (8.2 %), C15 : 0 2-OH (2.45 %) and C16 : 0 2-OH (1.05 %), were detected. Polar lipids consisted mainly of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, two sphingoglycolipids, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine and several unidentified lipids, and a yellow pigment was also detected. The polyamine pattern contained the single major compound spermidine. Characterization by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, physiological parameters, pigment analysis and polyamine, ubiquinone, polar lipid and fatty acid compositions revealed that strain CC-TPE-1T represents a novel species of the genus Novosphingobium, for which we propose the name Novosphingobium soli sp. nov., with the type strain CC-TPE-1T (=DSM 22821T =CCM 7706T =CCUG 58493T).

A motile, Gram-negative, pinkish red-pigmented bacterium (strain CC-Hsuan-617(T)) was isolated from an oil-contaminated soil near an oil refinery located in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain CC-Hsuan-617(T) clustered with Algoriphagus mannitolivorans (97.5 % sequence similarity), Algoriphagus aquatilis (98.0 %) and Algoriphagus boritolerans (97.5 %), followed by Algoriphagus ornithinivorans (97.1 %) and Algoriphagus alkaliphilus (97.1 %). The fatty acid profile of the novel strain was slightly different from those reported for recognized Algoriphagus species. The quinone system contained menaquinone MK-7 as the predominant component. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, an unknown polar lipid, an unknown phospholipid and an unknown aminophospholipid. The main cell polyamine was sym-homospermidine; lesser amounts of spermine and spermidine were also found. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization, and physiological and biochemical tests allowed the genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain CC-Hsuan-617(T) from recognized Algoriphagus species. Strain CC-Hsuan-617(T) is thus considered to represent a novel species of the genus Algoriphagus, for which the name Algoriphagus olei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-Hsuan-617(T) (=BCRC 17886(T)=CCUG 57471(T)).

A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on a pink-coloured unknown bacterium isolated from discarded road tar. Comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence demonstrated that the isolate belongs phylogenetically to the genus Azospirillum with Azospirillum lipoferum, A. melinis and A. rugosum as its closest phylogenetic relatives (96.7, 96.6 and 96.6 % similarity to the respective type strains). The generic assignment was confirmed on the basis of chemotaxonomic data, which revealed a fatty acid profile characteristic for the genus Azospirillum, consisting of straight-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with C(18 : 1)omega7c as the major unsaturated non-hydroxylated fatty acid, and C(16 : 0) 3-OH as the major hydroxylated fatty acid, and a ubiquinone with ten isoprene units (Q-10) as the predominant respiratory quinone. On the basis of both the phenotypic and molecular genetic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown isolate should be classified within a novel species of the genus Azospirillum, for which the name Azospirillum picis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is IMMIB TAR-3(T) (=CCUG 55431(T) =DSM 19922(T)).

Three diesel-degrading bacterial strains, Alcaligenes piechaudii CC-ESB2, Gordonia hirsuta CC-GH1 and Rhodococcus ruber CC-RR1, isolated from an oil contaminated site were tested for their hydrocarbon degrading potential. Various traits include oxygen requirement, salinity tolerance, floating activity, cell surface hydrophobicity, emulsification activity, surface tension reduction and hydrocarbon utilization were tested for the exploration of oil degrading candidates. These parameters were assessed in this study which served as indicators for the bioremediation of contaminated soils, groundwater and marine environments.