Phenomics and Genomics Reveal Adaptation of Strain 21D to Its Origin of Isolation, the Seawater-Brine Interface of the Mediterranean Sea Deep Hypersaline Anoxic Basin Discovery.

The adaptation of sporeformers to extreme environmental conditions is frequently questioned due to their capacity to produce highly resistant endospores that are considered as resting contaminants, not representing populations adapted to the system. In this work, in order to gain a better understanding of bacterial adaptation to extreme habitats, we investigated the phenotypic and genomic characteristics of the halophile sp. 21D isolated from the seawater-brine interface (SBI) of the MgCl-saturated deep hypersaline anoxic basin Discovery located in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Genome analysis and -omics approaches provide new insights into the biodegradation potential of Rhodococcus.

The past few years observed a breakthrough of genome sequences of bacteria of Rhodococcus genus with significant biodegradation abilities. Invaluable knowledge from genome data and their functional analysis can be applied to develop and design strategies for attenuating damages caused by hydrocarbon contamination. With the advent of high-throughput -omic technologies, it is currently possible to utilize the functional properties of diverse catabolic genes, analyze an entire system at the level of molecule (DNA, RNA, protein, and metabolite), simultaneously predict and construct catabolic degradation pathways.