Ever thought about biosurfactants helping to enhance contaminant degradation?
Want to utilize Microbially Enhanced Oil Recovery?
Now we can quantify many of the organisms known to have this capability!!
During environmental cleanup, hydrophobic contaminants can become bound to soil particles making them difficult to remediate. To increase contaminant desorption, natural surfactants can be utilized in combination with soil and water remediation technologies. These biosurfactants are capable of reducing the interfacial tension and dispersing the oil particles. Whether using enhanced biodegradation or natural source zone depletion (NSZD), the presence of organisms that produce biosurfactants can greatly enhance the remedial process.
These same genes also play an important role in microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). Biologically-produced amphiphilic surfactants are a low cost option to improve the efficiency of oil recovery.
Much research has gone into understanding the genes and microorganisms involved, and based on this information, MI has designed four assays shown below.
Glycolipid Biosurfactants (SurG):
Glycolipid surfactants are composed of lipids with a carbohydrate attached by a glycosidic bond. The SurG assay quantifies two genes from Pseudomonas spp. responsible for the production of rhamnolipids which are involved in the uptake of low polarity hydrocarbons. These glycolipid biosurfactants are useful in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) and the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons.
Lipopeptide Biosurfactants (SurP):
Lipopeptide biosurfactants are composed of a lipid connected to a peptide molecule. The SurP assay quantifies the SrfAC, licC, aprE genes involved in the production of Surfactin, lichenysin, and Subtilisin in Bacillus spp. as well as the visC gene involved in the production of viscosin in Pseudomonas spp. Surfactin is currently considered as one of the most effective biosurfactants. These lipopeptide biosurfactants are useful in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) and the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons.
Liposaccharide Biosurfactants (SurL):
Liposaccharide biosurfactants are high molecular weight, water soluble compounds composed of a hydrophobic lipid section, a hydrophilic core polysaccharide chain, and a repeating hydrophilic oligosaccharide side chain. The SurL assay quantifies the weeA and alnB genes involved in the production of emulsan and alasan in hydrocarbon degrading Acinetobacter spp. These liposaccharide biosurfactants are useful in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) and the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons.
Trehalose Biosurfactants (SurT):
This is a specific group of glycolipid biosurfactants that are produced by Rhodococcus and Mycobacterium spp. and are involved in the uptake of low polarity hydrocarbons. The SurT assays quantifies two genes responsible for the production of these biosurfactants. These trehalose biosurfactants are useful in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) and the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons.
