Comparative metagenomics reveals different hydrocarbon degradative abilities from enriched oil-drilling waste.

The oil drilling process generates large volumes of waste with inadequate treatments. Here, oil drilling waste (ODW) microbial communities demonstrate different hydrocarbon degradative abilities when exposed to distinct nutrient enrichments as revealed by comparative metagenomics. The ODW was enriched in Luria Broth (LBE) and Potato Dextrose (PDE) media to examine the structure and functional variations of microbial consortia.

Improved enrichment and isolation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)-degrading microorganisms in soil using anthracene as a model PAH.

Lack of attention to soil and microbial characteristics that influence PAHs degradation has been a leading cause of failures in isolation of efficient PAH degraders and bioaugumentation processes with microbial consortia. This study compared the classic method of isolation of PAHs-degraders with a modified method employing a pre-enrichment respirometric analysis. The modified enrichment of PAH degrading microorganisms using in vitro microcosm resulted to reduced enrichment period and more efficient PAH-degrading microbial consortia.

Alpha-lipoic acid modifies oxidative stress parameters in sickle cell trait subjects and sickle cell patients.

Background & Aims: Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the sickle cell disease. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant that is employed in the treatment of several diseases. The objective of this study was to test the ALA effect in the sickle cell disease (SCD) treatment.

Biodegradation of the herbicide glyphosate by filamentous fungi in platform shaker and batch bioreactor.

The biodegradation conducted by microorganisms on herbicide glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine) was investigated. Five strains of filamentous fungi belonging to the Fusarium genre were grown on Czapeck medium without phosphorous and supplemented with the addition of glyphosate. The assays were conducted to determine the ability of use as a phosphorous source, the inhibition caused by presence of herbicide, and the biodegradation in shaker and bioreactor by Fusarium strains.

Microbial consortium bioaugmentation of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated soil.

In this study we evaluated the capacity of a defined microbial consortium (five bacteria: Mycobacterium fortuitum, Bacillus cereus, Microbacterium sp., Gordonia polyisoprenivorans, Microbacteriaceae bacterium, Naphthalene-utilizing bacterium; and a fungus identified as Fusarium oxysporum) isolated from a PAHs contaminated landfarm site to degrade and mineralize different concentrations (0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg kg(-1)) of anthracene, phenanthrene and pyrene in soil. PAHs degradation and mineralization was evaluated by gas chromatography and respirometry, respectively.