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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Methods for Facilitating Microbial Growth on Pulp Mill Waste Streams and Characterization of the Biodegradation Potential of Cultured Microbes

Methods for Facilitating Microbial Growth on Pulp Mill Waste Streams and Characterization of the Biodegradation Potential of Cultured Microbes

Published on: December 12, 2013

Development of a microbial dewaxing agent using three spore forming bacteria.

Xiaoyan Guo^1,2, Xutao Zhao^1,2, Lizhu Li¹

¹College of New Materials and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Bioresources and Bioprocessing

|August 8, 2024

Summary

This study engineered bacteria to improve microbial dewaxing for enhanced oil recovery. Genetically modified strains significantly boosted wax removal efficiency, making the process more effective.

Keywords:

Alkane monooxygenase Microbial enhanced oil recovery Microbial wax removal agent Surfactin

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Last Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Methods for Facilitating Microbial Growth on Pulp Mill Waste Streams and Characterization of the Biodegradation Potential of Cultured Microbes

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Published on: December 12, 2013

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Published on: October 31, 2019

Physical Isolation of Endospores from Environmental Samples by Targeted Lysis of Vegetative Cells

Physical Isolation of Endospores from Environmental Samples by Targeted Lysis of Vegetative Cells

Published on: January 21, 2016

Area of Science:

Biotechnology
Microbiology
Petroleum Engineering

Background:

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is cost-effective but hindered by wax in residual oil.
Microbial dewaxing is crucial for MEOR efficiency.
Existing microbial agents require enhancement for optimal wax removal.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop an enhanced bacterial dewaxing agent for microbial enhanced oil recovery.
To genetically engineer specific bacterial strains to improve wax removal capabilities.
To create a multi-strain bacterial consortium with superior performance.

Main Methods:

Engineered Bacillus subtilis GZ6 by modifying the surfactin synthase gene cluster (srfA) promoter to increase biosurfactant production.
Created a mutant alkane monooxygenase (LadA F10L/N133R) via site-directed mutagenesis in E. coli, enhancing octadecane degradation.
Expressed the mutant LadA in Geobacillus stearothermophilus GZ178 and combined engineered strains with Geobacillus thermodenitrificans GZ156.

Main Results:

Increased surfactin titer in B. subtilis GZ6 from 0.33 g/L to 2.32 g/L, enhancing oil spreading.
The engineered LadA mutant showed an 11.7-fold increase in catalytic efficiency and a 2.0-fold increase in octadecane-degrading activity in G. stearothermophilus.
The developed multi-strain bacterial agent achieved a 35% increase in wax removal rate compared to native strains.

Conclusions:

Genetic engineering of B. subtilis and G. stearothermophilus significantly enhanced wax removal capabilities.
The developed multi-strain bacterial agent offers improved efficiency for microbial dewaxing in MEOR.
This study provides a foundation for developing advanced microbial solutions for the oil industry.