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Isolation and characterization of a novel thermophilic Bacillus strain degrading long-chain n-alkanes

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Abstract

A thermophilic Bacillus strain NG80-2 growing within the temperature range of 45–73°C (optimum at 65°C) was isolated from a deep subterranean oil-reservoir in northern China. The strain was able to utilize crude oil and liquid paraffin as the sole carbon sources for growth, and the growth with crude oil was accompanied by the production of an unknown emulsifying agent. Further examination showed that NG80-2 degraded and utilized only long-chain (C15–C36) n-alkanes, but not short-chain (C8–C14) n-alkanes and those longer than C40. Based on phenotypic and phylogenic analyses, NG80-2 was identified as Geobacillus thermodenitrificans. The strain NG80-2 may be potentially used for oily-waste treatment at elevated temperature, a condition which greatly accelerates the biodegradation rate, and for microbial enhancing oil recovery process.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National 863 Program (2002AA226011) and funding from Tianjin Science and Technology Committee (033105811), China. We thank David Bastin for critical reading of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23# Hong Da Street, TEDA, 300457, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

    Lei Wang, Yun Tang, Mu-Zhi Liu & Lu Feng

  2. Tianjin Key Centre for Functional Genomics and Biochip Research, TEDA College, Nankai University, 23# Hong Da Street, TEDA, 300457, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

    Lei Wang & Lu Feng

  3. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Faculty of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, 300222, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

    Shuo Wang & Yan Zhang

  4. College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

    Ru-Lin Liu & Feng-Lai Liang

Authors
  1. Lei Wang
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  2. Yun Tang
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  3. Shuo Wang
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  4. Ru-Lin Liu
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  5. Mu-Zhi Liu
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  6. Yan Zhang
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  7. Feng-Lai Liang
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  8. Lu Feng
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lu Feng.

Additional information

Communicated by G. Antranikian

Lei Wang, Yun Tang and Shuo Wang contributed equally to this study.

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Wang, L., Tang, Y., Wang, S. et al. Isolation and characterization of a novel thermophilic Bacillus strain degrading long-chain n-alkanes. Extremophiles 10, 347–356 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-006-0505-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-006-0505-4

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