ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF CRUDE OIL DEGRADING BACTERIA FROM CRUDE OIL CONTAMINATED AREAS

The present study aimed to isolate, identify and characterize oil-degrading microbes from oil-contaminated sites. In this study, 26 bacterial strains were isolated from crude oil-contaminated sites and identified by using morphological, biochemical and molecular analysis by DNA gene sequencing. Their ability to biodegrade crude oil was determined by screening for bio-surfactant activity and by employing well diffusion assays. From these 26 strains, 3 bacterial isolates proved to be able to degrade all the 4 crude oil components (petrol, diesel, kerosene, engine oil). The isolates were subjected to morphological and biochemical characterisation, optimization for pH and temperature and PCR and DNA sequence analysis for identification. Based on biochemical and molecular characterization, these isolates were identified as Psuedomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and P. fluorescens.