Current Landscape of Biomolecular Approaches for Assessing Biodegradation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The ability of bacteria to degrade hazardous pollutants is a valuable tool that can be employed for cleaning contaminated sites. As a result of the complex mixtures of organic compounds present in contaminated areas, the combined genetic information of more than one organism is necessary to enhance the degradation process. Aromatic compounds are believed to constitute approximately 25% of all biomass on earth. Community profiling and other molecular techniques, such as quantitative real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization, provide the phylogenetic context of the potential key genes associated with the degradation of aromatic compounds. The application of molecular techniques may help to identify potentially remediating organisms and to discover particular degradation abilities. Increased knowledge on the microbial diversity in environments contaminated with aromatic compounds may assist in the characterization of highly efficient and tolerant bacteria when exposed to a broad range of stresses. Ultimately, such knowledge may support the development of novel and effective bioremediation strategies.
Source: Springer protocols feed by Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: news