Hydrocarbons Biodegradation by : Assimilation of Hexadecane in Different Aggregate States.

The aim of our study was to reveal the peculiarities of the adaptation of rhodococci to hydrophobic hydrocarbon degradation at low temperatures when the substrate was in solid states. The ability of actinobacteria (strains X5 and S67) to degrade hexadecane at 10 °C (solid hydrophobic substrate) and 26 °C (liquid hydrophobic substrate) is described. Despite the solid state of the hydrophobic substrate at 10 °C, bacteria demonstrate a high level of its degradation (30-40%) within 18 days.