Systems-level genomic and functional characterization of lipopeptide biosurfactant pathways in Bacillus albus...

This study describes the system level genomic analysis, chemical and pathway characterisation of a biotechnologically important, yet lesser-known biosurfactant producer, Bacillus albus MITWPUB5. The organism is an isolate of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis revealed that the biosurfactant produced by this isolate belongs to lipopeptide class. The biosurfactant's nature was found to be anionic, with a high emulsification index (76%) and stability across a wide range of abiotic conditions such as temperatures, pH levels, and salt concentrations. Comprehensive genomics coupled with metabolic pathway analysis revealed genes encoding key enzymes in fatty acid and lipoprotein biosynthetic pathways, and Non-Ribosomal Peptide (NRP) synthesis. We present a novel computational approach which combines biosynthetic gene cluster prediction, NRPS module analysis to decode conserved catalytic domains and their encoded substrate that govern lipopeptide biosurfactant synthesis in B. albus. Comparative genome analysis of globally available B. albus strains followed by phylogenetic analysis revealed the conservation and distribution of genes encoding lipopeptide biosurfactant. Pangenome analysis uncovered an open structure in B. albus, where conserved fatty acid biosynthesis genes formed a stable core while NRPS genes exhibited strain-specific distribution within the accessory genome. Collectively, these findings demonstrate biotechnological relevance of MITWPUB5 as a promising source of an environmentally stable lipopeptide biosurfactant. The study contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) by highlighting the potential of an ecologically sustainable, biologically derived biosurfactant that can reduce reliance on synthetic surfactants. Such integrative framework can facilitate deeper insights into metabolic pathways, regulatory networks, and optimization strategies governing biosurfactant synthesis.