182
they are environmentally biodegradable, less toxic and are able to undertake specific activity at
extreme temperatures, pH and salinity206. BS and BEs are ampiphillic compounds containing both a
hydrophilic and a hydrophobic moiety which allow for solubilisation of hydrophobic substrates and
reductions in surface and interfacial tension thus allowing solids, liquids or gases to mix more
readily. Their usefulness in terms of bioremediation is due to a variety of relevant functions
including emulsification, foaming, detergency, wetting dispersion, solubilisation of hydrophobic
compounds and enhancing microbial growth enhancement207,208,209.
. Table 0.24 shows the different
types of BS/BE produced by different organisms and their general, potential applications.
There is currently an FP7 research project210 being undertaken by institutes around the EU looking
at the microbial diversity and ecology of the Mediterranean with the aim to find microbes which can
be used as antipollutants. This project is scheduled to be completed in 2014 and may result in
effective products for this purpose.
Table 0.24
BS/BE producing microorganisms and their potential applications
Polymer/Compound
produced
Marine
Microorganisms
Polymeric
biosurfactant/bioemulsifiers
Acinetobacter sp.,
Pseudomonas,
Myroides,
Halomonas, yeast,
Streptomyces,
Antarctobacter,
Marineobacter
Properties
Effectiveness as emulsifiers that can
stabilise oil-in-water interactions. act
to lower surface water tension
Potential
applications
Oil-recovery.
Emulsfying
weathered crude
oil, They are
useful
for
limestone,
titanium,
gasoline, crude
oil, kerosene,
hydrocarbons
Glycolipid surface active
molecules (carbohydrates
in combination with longchain
aliphatic acids or
hydroxyaliphactic acids)
Alcaligenes sp.,
Arthrobacter,
Alcanivorax
borkumensis,
Rhodococcus,
Halomonas.
Extensively studied due to a wide
range of applications and can be
cheap to make through sugar based,
cheaper
renewable
feedstock
substrates (Thavasi et al., 2009).
Can degrade hydrocarbons.
Inhibition of microflaggelate and
microalgae growth, surfactant
activities, effective interfacial and
emulsifying properties, surface active
agent, enhance solubility of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
and increase degradation rate of
hexadecane (Rhodococcus).
Lipopeptide surface active
molecules
Bacillus
Azotobacter
chroococcum,
sp.,
Antimicrobial and antibacterial
activity. Enhance degradation of
PAHs by increasing bacterial growth
and increasing biosurfactant
Bio-remediation
for marine oil
spills including
solubilisation of
PAHs (Polycyclic
aromatic
hydrocarbon).
Bioremediation
through
emulsification of
marine oil spills.
206 Thavasi, R., Nambaru, V. R. M. S., Jayalakshmi, S., Balasubramanian, T. & Banat, I. M., 2009, Biosurfactant Production by
Azotobacter chroococcum Isolated from the Marine Environment. Mar Biotechnol 11, 551–556 (2009).
207 Banat, I. M., Makkar, R. S., & Cameotra, S. S., 2000, Potential commercial applications of microbial surfactants. Applied
microbiology and biotechnology, 53(5), 495-508.
210 ULIXES http://www.ulixes.unimi.it/
208 Kosaric, N., 2001, Biosurfactants and Their Application for Soil Bioremediation. Food Technology Biotechnolgy 39, 295–304
209 Satpute, S. K., Banat, I. M., Dhakephalkar, P. K., Banpurkar, A. G. & Chopade, B. A., 2010, Biosurfactants, bioemulsifiers
and exopolysaccharides from marine microorganisms. Biotechnology Advances 28, 436–450
Study in support of Impact Assessment work on Blue Biotechnology
155
183
Publizr
Home
