Bacterium · Model alkane oxidizer
Pseudomonas oleovorans
A fuel-degrading bacterium whose alkane-oxidation system is the reference model for how bacteria attack fuel-range hydrocarbons.
| Contaminant | What the research documents |
|---|---|
| Petroleum hydrocarbons | Alkane monooxygenase oxidation of medium-chain alkanes |
From published research on the species, not tests of an Elm Dirt product. Studies often work with one strain, and sequencing identifies species, so results on a site are measured on that site.
On this page (5 sections)
What it is
Pseudomonas oleovorans is a soil and water bacterium that grows on medium-chain alkanes, and its alkane-oxidation system is one of the most studied in microbiology.
Peer-reviewed research shows Pseudomonas oleovorans can oxidize medium-chain alkanes, the backbone of fuel-range hydrocarbons. It is one of the 291 microbial species identified in Plant Juice by independent lab analysis (Biome Makers).
What the research shows
The alkane hydroxylase system in this organism and its relatives is the reference model for how bacteria attack fuel-range hydrocarbons [1,2].
The same alkane enzymes have been studied on fluorotelomer alcohols, where they attack the non-fluorinated tail and leave the fluorinated backbone intact [3]. That is enzyme research and does not make it a PFAS treatment.
How it works
An alkane monooxygenase adds oxygen to the end of a straight-chain hydrocarbon and turns the fuel molecule into an alcohol the cell can run through normal metabolism [1,2]. Every fuel-range alkane has to pass that first oxidation step before it can be broken down.
Where it fits
This organism belongs on fuel ground, where it carries the reference alkane-oxidation system and sits alongside the field-tested fuel degraders on the Pseudomonas putida page. The petroleum hydrocarbons page covers that work, and site results come from independent lab sampling over months.
Studies
- van Beilen JB, et al. (2002). Rubredoxins involved in alkane oxidation. Journal of Bacteriology 184(6):1722–1732. doi:10.1128/JB.184.6.1722-1732.2002
- Smits TH, et al. (2002). Functional analysis of alkane hydroxylases from gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Journal of Bacteriology 184(6):1733–1742. doi:10.1128/JB.184.6.1733-1742.2002
- Kim MH, Wang N, McDonald T, Chu KH (2012). Biodefluorination and biotransformation of fluorotelomer alcohols by two alkane-degrading Pseudomonas strains. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 109(12):3041–3048. doi:10.1002/bit.24561
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