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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

The way we do things matters: the deep integration of lived experience in the a/part of the crowd project to respond to loneliness in young adults.

Research involvement and engagement·2026

Same author

Phantom evaluation of spectral performance in photon-counting CT for breast cancer imaging.

Medical physics·2026

Same author

Rare <i>KDR</i> Variants Define a Distinct Genetic Contribution to Congenital Heart Disease.

Circulation. Genomic and precision medicine·2026

Same author

Unlocking electronic health records: a hybrid graph RAG approach to safe clinical AI for patient QA.

Frontiers in digital health·2026

Same author

Prothrombin G20210A and Factor V Leiden Variants Are Not Associated With Thrombotic Events in Congenital Heart Disease: An Observational Trial.

Journal of the American Heart Association·2026

Same author

Development and multicentre validation of an artificial intelligence electrocardiogram model for ventricular remodeling in repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

European heart journal. Digital health·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Published on: October 31, 2019

Engineering artificial communities for enhanced FTOH degradation.

Matthew Lewis¹, Myung-Hee Kim¹, Ning Wang²

¹Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3136, United States.

The Science of the Total Environment

|August 14, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study engineered microbial cultures to enhance the breakdown of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), finding that low carbon concentrations and specific microbial mixes improved defluorination into less persistent metabolites.

Keywords:

Activated sludge Bioaugmentation FTOH FTOH-degrading bacteria alkB

More Related Videos

Isolation and Screening from Soil Biodiversity for Fungi Involved in the Degradation of Recalcitrant Materials

Isolation and Screening from Soil Biodiversity for Fungi Involved in the Degradation of Recalcitrant Materials

Published on: May 16, 2022

Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture

Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture

Published on: May 10, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Published on: October 31, 2019

Isolation and Screening from Soil Biodiversity for Fungi Involved in the Degradation of Recalcitrant Materials

Isolation and Screening from Soil Biodiversity for Fungi Involved in the Degradation of Recalcitrant Materials

Published on: May 16, 2022

Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture

Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture

Published on: May 10, 2013

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Microbiology
Environmental Chemistry

Background:

Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) are persistent environmental pollutants containing perfluorinated chains.
Biotransformation of FTOHs varies based on microorganisms and environmental conditions, impacting defluorination rates and metabolite types.

Purpose of the Study:

To enhance the effectiveness of FTOH defluorination into less persistent metabolites.
To investigate microbial culture engineering for improved FTOH biotransformation.
To examine the impact of carbon sources and concentrations on FTOH degradation.

Main Methods:

Engineered defined mixed and bioaugmented microbial cultures to biotransform 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH).
Investigated the effects of various carbon sources and their concentrations on FTOH biotransformation.
Utilized enrichment cultures with different chain-length FTOHs and analyzed microbial communities and alkane hydroxylase genes.

Main Results:

5:2 sFTOH was consistently the primary metabolite across experiments.
Low concentrations of cosubstrate carbon maximized overall effectiveness.
P. butanovora + P. fluorescens mixed culture best utilized Pathway II, with lactate showing a slight negative impact.
Additional carbon decreased 6:2 FTOH biotransformation by 60% in augmented activated sludge.
Enrichment cultures demonstrated that shorter chain FTOHs (4:2, 6:2) degrade more readily than longer chain FTOHs (8:2).

Conclusions:

Microbial engineering and controlled carbon availability can significantly enhance FTOH defluorination.
Shorter chain FTOHs are more amenable to biodegradation.
Understanding microbial communities and specific genes like alkane hydroxylase is crucial for elucidating FTOH biotransformation mechanisms.