Aromatic Compounds and Biofilms: Regulation and Interlinking of Metabolic Pathways in Bacteria

Abstract

Bioremediation is the powerful eco-friendly technique for the remediation of toxic aromatic pollutants. However, the activity of augmented organisms in freely suspended form often decreases at the contaminated sites due to number of stress factors. Bacterial biofilms are efficient systems, recently being applied in bioremediation, as they warrant enhanced bioavailability, protection of cells from toxic shocks and optimum microenvironment for the degradation reactions to occur. Recent studies suggest the involvement of biofilm in biodegradation process. However, the regulation and interconnection of the degradation pathways through biofilms are still unclear. The present chapter suggests the interlinking of biofilm process and degradation of aromatic compounds through various mechanisms like chemotaxis, HGT events and EPS production. The interference of QS sensing genes and their regulators in the biodegradation of various aromatic compounds and EPS synthesis are also discussed. Hence, this would come up with a better understanding of biofilm-based processes during biodegradation, which in turn aids in consortia development and bioremediation potential.