Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Bioremediation

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.

Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides

Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides

Pesticides often feature structurally complex chemical architectures, incorporating halogen groups and multiple aromatic rings. These characteristics confer high chemical stability, rendering many pesticides resistant to natural degradation processes. This resistance poses significant environmental concerns, as persistent pesticide residues can accumulate in ecosystems and affect non-target organisms.Despite the inherent stability of many pesticides, certain microorganisms possess the metabolic...

Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

Bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable process that employs living organisms—primarily microorganisms—to degrade or neutralize pollutants from contaminated environments. In oil spills and hydrocarbon pollution, bioremediation involves the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to transform toxic compounds into less harmful substances. This approach leverages natural microbial metabolic processes and is considered both cost-effective and ecologically favorable compared to physical or...

Bioreactor Controls-III

Bioreactor Controls-III

Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...

Microbial Bioremediation of Plastics

Microbial Bioremediation of Plastics

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a synthetic polymer widely utilized in the packaging industry, particularly for bottles and containers. Due to its chemical stability and durability, PET accumulates in the environment, contributing significantly to plastic pollution. It comprises repeating units of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, resulting in a semi-crystalline structure that is resistant to natural degradation processes.A notable breakthrough in plastic biodegradation came with the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Nitrification activity in the presence of 2-chlorophenol using whole nitrifying cells and cell-free extracts: batch and SBR assays.

3 Biotech·2023

Same author

Effect of sulfate and lactate loading rates on the respiration process and microbial population changes measured by ecological indices.

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research·2015

Same author

Kinetic and physiological evaluation of ammonium and nitrite oxidation processes in presence of 2-chlorophenol.

Applied biochemistry and biotechnology·2013

Same author

Simultaneous removal of 2-chlorophenol, phenol, p-cresol and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde under nitrifying conditions: kinetic study.

Bioresource technology·2011

Same author

Hydraulic retention time impact of treated recirculated leachate on the hydrolytic kinetic rate of coffee pulp in an acidogenic reactor.

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research·2008

Same author

Altering the time of the second gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection and artificial insemination (AI) during Ovsynch affects pregnancies per AI in lactating dairy cows.

Journal of dairy science·2008

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

Published on: December 25, 2015

p-Cresol biotransformation by a nitrifying consortium.

C D Silva¹, J Gómez, E Houbron

¹Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco, No. 186-Col, Vicentina DF, Mexico.

|April 4, 2009

Summary

A nitrifying consortium can oxidize p-cresol, but the process is inhibited by p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, a key intermediate. This intermediate slows down p-cresol mineralization, highlighting its role as the rate-limiting step.

More Related Videos

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor

Published on: October 15, 2015

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems

Published on: December 24, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

Published on: December 25, 2015

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor

Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor

Published on: October 15, 2015

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems

Published on: December 24, 2014

Area of Science:

Environmental microbiology
Bioremediation
Wastewater treatment

Background:

Nitrifying microbial communities are crucial for nitrogen cycling in ecosystems.
Phenolic compounds like p-cresol can be environmental pollutants and may affect microbial processes.
Understanding the impact of pollutants on nitrification is vital for assessing ecosystem health and designing treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the oxidizing capacity of a nitrifying consortium exposed to p-cresol.
To investigate the biotransformation pathway of p-cresol and identify intermediate compounds.
To determine the specific mechanisms and compounds responsible for nitrification inhibition by p-cresol.

Main Methods:

Batch culture experiments were conducted to assess the nitrifying consortium's activity.
p-Cresol biotransformation was monitored by identifying intermediates using analytical techniques.
The role of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) was investigated using allylthiourea, an AMO inhibitor.

Main Results:

p-Cresol significantly inhibited ammonium consumption by 83%, but nitrate yield remained high (0.95 g NO(3)(-)-N/g NH(4)(+)-N).
The consortium mineralized p-cresol, forming p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and p-hydroxybenzoate as intermediates.
p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde accumulation and slower oxidation rate indicated it was the rate-limiting step and primary inhibitor of nitrification.

Conclusions:

Nitrification rates are sensitive to p-cresol, primarily due to the inhibitory effects of the intermediate p-hydroxybenzaldehyde.
Ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) is not directly involved in the initial oxidation of p-cresol.
p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde oxidation is the rate-limiting step in the complete mineralization of p-cresol by this nitrifying consortium.