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Updated: May 18, 2026

A High Throughput Screen for Biomining Cellulase Activity from Metagenomic Libraries
Published on: February 1, 2011
Characterization and phylogenetic diversity of carboxymethyl cellulase producing bacillus species from a landfill
Suresh Korpole1, Rashmi Sharma, Dipti Verma
1Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank (MTCC), Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39A, Chandigarh, 160 036 India.
Abstract:
Total population of cellulose degrading bacteria was studied in a landfill ecosystem as a part of microbial diversity study. Samples were obtained from 3 and 5 feet depth of a local landfill being operated for past 10 years. Among many isolates, 22 bacterial strains were selected based on their capability to decompose carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). These isolates were cultivated on agar medium with CMC as the carbon source. All isolates were Gram positive, endospore forming and alkalophilic bacteria with optimum growth pH 9-10. They were grouped based on the phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characters and representative strains of different groups along with high carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) producing strains were included for further characterization. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene indicated that these strains belong to different species of the genus Bacillus. Maximum CMCase activity of 4.8 U/ml at 50°C was obtained by strain LFC15. Results in the present study indicated the potential of waste land ecosystems such as landfill are potential source for isolation of industrially important microorganisms.
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