Microbial Degradation of Pollutants at Low Concentrations and in the Presence of Alternative Carbon Substrates: Emerging Patterns

Abstract

Two contrasting approaches are typically followed to study the (bio)degradation of organic chemicals: On one hand, a “real world approach” is used where the disappearance of a compound is followed in the environment (or a soil or water sample brought into the laboratory). On the other hand the degradation is studied “in the ivory tower” by investigating the growth of pure cultures of pollutant-degrading microbes. The first approach gives certainly realistic information about the disappearance of a compound in a particular environment (but usually only limited information about its final fate). However, being a “black box” approach it can give little information about principles and mechanisms that affect and govern the degradation of a compound. The “pure culture” approach again can provide detailed information about types of organisms that can do the job, quantitative aspects of growth and degradation of the chemical, degradation pathways, enzymes involved, intermediates formed, genetic information on the genes involved and their regulation. Definitely both approaches are needed but it is most often difficult, if not impossible, to link information collected in the laboratory with that obtained in the environment.KeywordsDilution RateCarbon SubstrateSwiss Federal InstituteMixed SubstrateComamonas TestosteroniThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.