What is Borkumensis?

What is Borkumensis?

Alcanivorax borkumensis is a rod-shaped bacteria that relies on oil to provide it with energy. Relatively rare in unpolluted seas it quickly comes to dominate the marine microbial ecosystem after an oil spill, and it can be found throughout the world’s oceans.

What is the role of a Borkumensis in bioremediation?

One of the most useful and interesting examples of the use of prokaryotes for bioremediation purposes is the cleanup of oil spills. Some species, such as Alcanivorax borkumensis, produce surfactants that solubilize the oil (making it soluble in water), whereas other bacteria degrade the oil into carbon dioxide.

How does a Borkumensis eat oil?

Now known as Alcanivorax borkumensis, the bacteria was able to digest oil by breaking down petroleum hydrocarbons with the use of special enzymes — something no other known bacteria can do. Chemicals can be used to break down the petroleum products but could leave behind other toxic residues.

What is the meaning of Alcanivorax?

Alcanivorax borkumensis is an alkane-degrading marine bacterium which naturally propagates and becomes predominant in crude-oil-containing seawater when nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients are supplemented.

What is the name of oil eating bacteria?

But however widespread and serious the damage may be, the solution could be microscopic — Alcanivorax borkumensis — a bacterium that feeds on hydrocarbons. A research team shows the effectiveness of enzymes produced by the bacterium in degrading petroleum products in soil and water.

Where is Alcanivorax in Borkumensis?

Alcanivorax borkumensis (A. borkumensis) is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped hydrocarbonoclastic (“oil-degrading”) bacterium. It thrives in halophilic, aerobic environments and is found in the upper layers of freshwater or marine environments such as the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean and Arctic Sea [4, 8].

Are there bacteria that eat oil?

There are species of marine bacteria in several families, including Marinobacter, Oceanospiralles, Pseudomonas, and Alkanivorax, that can eat compounds from petroleum as part of their diet. In fact, there are at least seven species of bacteria that can survive solely on oil [1].

What is the function of A borkumensis?

Through its metabolism, A. borkumensis can break down oil into harmless compounds. This ability makes this particular species a major potential source for bioremediation of oil-polluted marine environments. Oil spills can occur during transportation of oil or during extraction.

Is A borkumensis aerobic or anaerobic?

A. borkumensis is a rod-shaped bacterium without flagella that obtains its energy primarily from consuming alkanes (a type of hydrocarbon ). It is aerobic, meaning it uses oxygen to gain energy, and it is halophilic, meaning it tends to live in environments that contain salt, such as salty ocean water.

What is Alcanivorax borkumensis?

Alcanivorax borkumensis is an alkane -degrading marine bacterium which naturally propagates and becomes predominant in crude-oil-containing seawater when nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients are supplemented.

What is the habitat of ascomycetes borkumensis?

It is found only on or near the surface of water. A. borkumensis can live in salinities ranging from 1.0-12.5% and in temperatures ranging from 4-35 °C.