As part of the EU project MULTIBARRIERS, six new endogenous aerobic bacterial isolates able to grow in the presence of BTmX (benzene, toluene, m-xylene) were characterized with respect to their growth specificities. Preliminary analysis included restriction fragment length polymorphism profiles and 16S rDNA sequencing. The diversity of these strains was confirmed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Additional aerobic bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizospheres of plants grown in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated soils. Pot experiments were designed to show the beneficial effect of plants on the bacterial degradation of PCBs. The effect of PCB removal from soil was evaluated and bacteria isolated from three different plant species were examined for the presence of the bph operon.

Dpt of Biochemistry and Microbiology Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology Inst of Chemical Technology Prague Czech Republic

Cloning the bacterial bphC gene into Nicotiana tabacum to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls

Phyto/rhizoremediation studies using long-term PCB-contaminated soil

Biphenyl-metabolizing bacteria in the rhizosphere of horseradish and bulk soil contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls as revealed by stable isotope probing