| This thesis describes a detailed ultrastructural and biochemical observation of PM-1, a bacterial isolate from the environment that degrades methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-MTBE is an oxygenate in gasoline that has been found to contaminate groundwater and soil. PM-1 degrades MTBE with high efficiency and forms aggregates in the presence of MTBE. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of an exopolysaccharide layer that is involved in the formation of aggregates. Also reported are morphological differences between PM-1 and SP-Y, which also degrades MTBE albeit slowly, and Sphingomonas , once thought to be the genus to which PM-1 belonged. Detailed molecular analyses and biochemical tests of PM-1 identified the isolate as an Aquabacterium species. An enrichment was set up to investigate the presence of the MTBE degraders in nature. |
