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Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols pp 9–21Cite as

Current Landscape of Biomolecular Approaches for Assessing Biodegradation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons

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Abstract

The ability of bacteria to degrade hazardous pollutants is a valuable tool that can be employed for cleaning contaminated sites. As a result of the complex mixtures of organic compounds present in contaminated areas, the combined genetic information of more than one organism is necessary to enhance the degradation process. Aromatic compounds are believed to constitute approximately 25% of all biomass on earth. Community profiling and other molecular techniques, such as quantitative real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization, provide the phylogenetic context of the potential key genes associated with the degradation of aromatic compounds. The application of molecular techniques may help to identify potentially remediating organisms and to discover particular degradation abilities. Increased knowledge on the microbial diversity in environments contaminated with aromatic compounds may assist in the characterization of highly efficient and tolerant bacteria when exposed to a broad range of stresses. Ultimately, such knowledge may support the development of novel and effective bioremediation strategies.

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Acknowledgements

R.V.V. is a postdoctoral fellow supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO). E.H-S is funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Foundation of Flanders (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek-Vlaanderen, FWO). A.S and DHP have received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) (MAGICPAH (FP7-KBBE-2009-245226) and BACSIN (project number 211684).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Emma Hernandez-Sanabria, Alberto Scoma, Tim Lacoere, Nico Boon & Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas

  2. Department of Medical Microbiology, Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany

    Marcia Duarte, Dietmar H. Pieper & Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany

    Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas

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  1. Emma Hernandez-Sanabria
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  2. Alberto Scoma
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  3. Tim Lacoere
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  4. Marcia Duarte
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  5. Nico Boon
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  6. Dietmar H. Pieper
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  7. Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas
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Correspondence to Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Essex Dept. Biological Sciences, Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom

    Terry J. McGenity

  2. Braunschweig, Germany

    Kenneth N. Timmis

  3. Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands and Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Balbina Nogales

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Hernandez-Sanabria, E. et al. (2016). Current Landscape of Biomolecular Approaches for Assessing Biodegradation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons. In: McGenity, T., Timmis, K., Nogales , B. (eds) Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2016_193

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2016_193

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