Bacteria is the cause of millions of deaths worldwide, but that doesn't mean that all bacteria are bad. Bacteria are some of the most diverse organisms on this planet, and you'll be surprised to learn that some species of bacteria actually 'eat' oil.
Many human-caused oil spills such as the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska wreaked havoc on marine ecosystems. One of the methods used to combat this disaster was the use of bacteria.
Well, bacteria may not actually eat oil, but they are capable of degrading the oil into other less harmful products like water and CO2. These are a specific species of bacteria known as hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria that occur naturally in seawater environments.
One of the more notable species in this group of bacteria is called Alcanivorax borkumensis. A. borkumensis has special enzymes that can break down hydrocarbons like alkanes (AKA oil) into water, CO2, and biosurfactants to minimize the damage caused to the environment.
A. borkumensis is chemotactic meaning it recognizes and moves towards oil droplets in its environment. The biosurfactants that are released when breaking down alkanes helps to break down oil into smaller partials and separate it from the seawater.
The enzyme in A. borkumensis known as alkane hydroxylase is responsible for breaking down the oil into simpler compounds which are then converted into ATP and new cellular material for further degradation and reproduction.
There are millions of different species of bacteria out in the world, and each one has its own unique trait that separates it from the rest. A. borkumensis is just one of nature's ways of correcting human mistakes.
-jasen
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