A team of French and Japanese environmental scientists has discovered that a specific type of oil-eating microbe can reshape droplets to enhance biodegradation. In their study, which was reported in the journal Science, the researchers isolated specimens of Alcanivorax borkumensis bacteria in a laboratory setting. They fed the bacteria crude oil and observed how they worked together to efficiently consume the oil. Terry McGenity and Pierre Philippe Laissue from the University of Essex’s School of Life Sciences have published a Perspective piece in the same journal issue, providing further insights into the research.
Prior studies have shown that there are numerous microbes in the ocean that feed on oil, helping to clean up oil spills that are not effectively addressed by human efforts. However, these microbes are unable to consume crude oil until it disperses into droplets, which can be a time-consuming process. In this new study, the researchers aimed to gain a better understanding of the crude oil consumption process by marine microbes. To achieve this, they collected A. borkumensis specimens and conducted experiments in their laboratory.
Under a microscope, the research team observed that A. borkumensis formed biofilms around oil droplets, but they did so in two distinct ways. In one experiment, A. borkumensis samples that had not been exposed to crude oil before were introduced to simple crude oil droplets. The bacteria gathered around the droplet, forming a sphere. This sphere shape remained until the entire oil droplet was consumed.
However, when the team exposed samples with prior experience in consuming crude oil, the bacteria’s behavior was more advanced. After converging on a droplet, a sphere initially formed, but then finger-like protrusions emerged, radiating out from the sphere. Each protrusion was completely covered with bacteria. This resulted in a much faster and more efficient consumption of the droplet.
The researchers propose that the formation of these protrusions increases the surface area of the oil, allowing more bacteria to simultaneously consume the droplet compared to the simple sphere shape. As a result, the consumption process is accelerated.
2023-08-19 23:24:03
Original from phys.org rnrn