Degradation of oil by bacteria from terrestrial environments from contaminated and uncontaminated sites in the Windmill Islands

Bacteria were isolated at 4 degrees C, with oil as their sole carbon and energy source, from the soils collected at the locations below.
Many of the bacteria will be identified using 16S rRNA analysis, as well as by tradational taxonomic methods.
The degradation pathways and the genes involved in the bioremediation of oil will be determined for these bacteria.
This can potentially be used to speed up the rate of bioremediation at low temperatures.
The differences in the community structures between oil-contaminated and pristine sites around the Windmill Islands will also be determined.

2005-05-30
Unfortunately all samples were lost when an incubator malfunctioned. No data were collected from this project.