Genetic Bioaugmentation-Mediated Bioremediation of Terephthalate in Soil Microcosms Using an Engineered Environmental Plasmid.

Harnessing in situ microbial communities to clean-up polluted natural environments is a potentially efficient means of bioremediation, but often the necessary genes to breakdown pollutants are missing. Genetic bioaugmentation, whereby the required genes are delivered to resident bacteria via horizontal gene transfer, offers a promising solution to this problem. Here, we engineered a conjugative plasmid previously isolated from soil, pQBR57, to carry a synthetic set of genes allowing bacteria to consume terephthalate, a chemical component of plastics commonly released during their manufacture and breakdown.

New microbiological insights from the Bowland shale highlight heterogeneity of the hydraulically fractured shale microbiome.

Background: Hydraulically fractured shales offer a window into the deep biosphere, where hydraulic fracturing creates new microbial ecosystems kilometers beneath the surface of the Earth. Studying the microbial communities from flowback fluids that are assumed to inhabit these environments provides insights into their ecophysiology, and in particular their ability to survive in these extreme environments as well as their influence on site operation e.g.

Guar Gum Stimulates Biogenic Sulfide Production in Microbial Communities Derived from UK Fractured Shale Production Fluids.

Shale gas production fluids offer a window into the engineered deep biosphere. Here, for the first time, we report on the geochemistry and microbiology of production fluids from a UK shale gas well in the Bowland shale formation. The composition of input fluids used to fracture this well were comparatively lean, consisting only of water, sand, and polyacrylamide.

Identification of Persistent Sulfidogenic Bacteria in Shale Gas Produced Waters.

Produced waters from hydraulically fractured shale formations give insight into the microbial ecology and biogeochemical conditions down-well. This study explores the potential for sulfide production by persistent microorganisms recovered from produced water samples collected from the Marcellus shale formation. Hydrogen sulfide is highly toxic and corrosive, and can lead to the formation of "sour gas" which is costly to refine.