Poly-extremotolerant bacterium isolated from reverse osmosis reject: an implication toward waste water management

We demonstrate the tolerance of bacterial strain SM2014 to various unsustainable conditions and suggest its implication in waste water management. Its sustainability to reverse osmosis pressure (2.1 MPa) during desalination, and survival percentage of 73 % under hyperbaric conditions (pressure tension of 3.1 MPa under absolute oxygen atmosphere) confirmed its pressure tolerance. The growth of this strain at pH 9 or 10 and at 60 °C alone or in combination revealed its unique physiology as poly-extremotolerant strain. As an adaptive mechanism, the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids changed with growth conditions. Under poly-extreme condition long chain saturated fatty acid (C₁₈:₀, C₁₆:₀, C₁₄:₀, C₁₂:₀) predominated at the expense of unsaturated fatty acids. The nucleotide BLAST of 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain SM2014 with the NCBI gene bank sequences showed its close identity to Bacillus licheniformis with a similarity match of 94 %. The secretion of industrially valuable enzymes proteinase, lipase and amylase under such harsh conditions further signified potential of this strain as a source of extremozymes. Its unique characteristics underscore its relevance in waste water management.