Project description:Aqueous-soluble hydrocarbons dissolve into the ocean’s interior and structure deep-sea microbial populations influenced by natural oil seeps and spills. n-Pentane is a seawater-soluble, volatile compound abundant in petroleum products and reservoirs and will partition to the deep-water column following release from the seafloor. In this study, we explore the ecology and niche partitioning of two free-living Cycloclasticus strains recovered from seawater incubations with n-pentane and distinguish them as an open ocean variant and a seep-proximal variant, each with distinct capabilities for hydrocarbon catabolism.
Project description:Cell proteomes obtained from Alcanivorax sp. 24 and Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2 grown with pyruvate, weathered polyethylene (W-PE) and hexadecane were analysed to investigate de bacterial metabolism for W-PE assimilation.
