Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria from Industrial Effluents

Abstract

Hydrocarbon contamination may happen in various ways such as accidents during fuel transportation by trucks and ships, leakage of oil from underground storage tanks, or during extraction and processing of oil. These contaminations can be treated by several methods including physical, chemical and biological treatment. During biological cleaning up, hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria emulsifying hydrocarbons by producing biosurfactants are used. Therefore, isolation and identification of biosurfactant producing and hydrocarbon degrading bacteria are pivotal for effective bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated surface waters. Hence, the aim of this study is to isolate and identify efficient bio surfactant producing and diesel oil degrading bacteria to remove spilled diesel oil from surface waters. The isolates D1 and was identified as Bacillus cereus. Isolates was further characterized for the presence of two novel catabolic genes (alkB and C23O), responsible for diesel oil degradation, the key enzymes (alkane monooxygenase and catechol 2,3 dioxygenase), encoded by these novel genes, and emulsifying ability of the biosurfactants produced by isolate through the use of several methods including DNA Extraction, Agarose Gel Electrophoresis And   Polymerase  Chain  Reaction  (PCR).