SCI3314 Current Issues in Biology: Microbes - Friend or Foe? Media

This report critically examines the media's portrayal of microbes, specifically focusing on their role in addressing oil spills. It begins with an overview of primary literature discussing the use of bacteria in oil degradation, referencing research papers that highlight the application of microbes like Alcanivorax borkumensis in converting hydrocarbons and the impact of chemical dispersants on natural oil-degrading microorganisms. The report analyzes news articles that have highlighted academic research, such as the European Commission's Horizon magazine coverage of using bacteria to dissolve oil spills and ScienceDaily's report on the viability of microbes in combating oil slick disasters. It delves into the findings of research papers, including studies on the biodegradation of oil micro-globules, the impact of protists on hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities, and the modulation of hydrocarbon respiration rates in Alcanivorax borkumensis. The report also explores the effects of chemical dispersants on microbial activity and group composition during oil spills, ultimately providing a comprehensive analysis of the science behind microbial oil cleanup and its representation in the media.

Running head: MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
Microbes- Friend or Foe?
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

1MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
Microorganisms have co-evolved with multi-cellular animals as well as humans, over
millions of years. Over the course of that, time microbes have found a way to survive and
incorporate themselves into higher living systems forming a symbiotic relationship, as seen in
the case of presence of mitochondria in animals and chloroplast in plants. Animals have a micro-
biome in their gut, which facilitates digestion (Kwong and Moran 2015). Humans have
developed and implemented various ways to utilize these microorganisms for their benefit. Most
microorganisms are beneficial to living beings but, sometimes, some species of microorganisms
are capable of creating pathogenicity. Microbes produce various toxins which act as antigens in
living systems and cause allergic reactions. This pathogenic nature of the microbes has also
developed the immunogenic system of the living beings (Dinan and Cryan 2017). The discovery
of antibiotics by Alexander Fleming has helped keeping the higher organisms safe from infection
and also controls the expansion of the microbial growth. This has lead to the development of
medical science and facilitated other industrial applications (Chenget al 2018), like the brewery
industry and waste treatment industry (Rodriguez-Mozazet al 2015). The control of microbial
organisms is a sophisticated and crucial form of science that requires skilled professionals and
any kind of misuse or malpractice can result in drastic outcomes. This paper will discuss in detail
the Use of Bacteria to treat oil spills, focus on news articles that have highlighted academic
research and discuss those papers in detail.

2MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
Using Microbes to Dissolve Oil Spills in Oceans
Source: (Horizon: the EU Research & Innovation magazine, 2018)
The European Commission (EU) published an article in their own magazine called
Horizon, where the 5 million barrels of oil were spilled in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010. The
incident were recorded as the largest oil spill in the history of the United States. The cleanup
procedure included releasing surfactants and detergents into the water and manually skimming
the oil from water surface. The process were both laborious and included releasing vast amounts
of chemicals into the sea. This lead to the path that set EU scientists to find a more environment
friendly methods to clean oil spills (Horizon: the EU Research & Innovation magazine, 2018).
The head of the project, Dr. George Kapellos has found out the oil droplets in the sea act as a
ecosystem for certain bacteria which feeds on these oil droplets. The research team has

3MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
developed a strategy of utilizing these bacteria to naturally degrade the oil film (Kapellos 2017).
The team is trying to work on the shortcomings of the project, where the area covered by the oil
spill plays a major role. The news article was highlighted by the official magazine of the
European Commissions, so the authenticity of the article is trustworthy. The eye catching
headline of the magazine would easily draw attention of academic and non-academic enthusiasts.
Administration of microbes in a safe and effective strategy helps mankind provide solutions to
global risks as well gain social acceptance. The scientists have devoted time and effort to present
their findings so that the government organizations and disaster management can utilise the
microbes to protect the aquatic ecosystem. Many other news articles have also been written
about the mechanism of action as well as specific species of bacteria which help in this case.
Kapellos, G.E., Paraskeva, C.A., Kalogerakis, N. and Doyle, P.S., 2018. Theoretical Insight
into the Biodegradation of Solitary Oil Microdroplets Moving through a Water Column.
Bioengineering, 5(1), p.15.
The paper discusses the fallout of oil slicks in the ocean, where billows of oil globules
float into the seawater section furthermore, which are diverted via ocean streams. The destiny of
the floating oil globules is controlled by characteristic degradation procedures, chiefly
disintegration into the seawater and biodegradation by oil-degrading microbial groups
(Korinenko and Malinovsky 2014). They researchers found that, in particular, microorganisms
are observed to undertake three central methodologies for getting to and acclimatizing oil
globules. Contingent upon their partiality for the slick stage and capacity to multiply in multi-
cellular structures, microorganisms may either adhere to the oil surface what's more, specifically
take-up mixes from the lipid phase, or become suspended in the aqueous phase devouring
solubilised oil, or provide three-dimensional bio-films figure over the oil–water interface

4MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
(Bramhachari Reddy and Kotresha 2016). In the paper the authors developed a compound
molecule show that records for every one of the three microbial procedures is produced for the
biodegradation of singular oil micro-globules travelling through a water phase. The researchers
focussed their findings to point out that under an arrangement of instructed speculations, the
hydrodynamics and solute transport issues are manageable to diagnostic arrangements and an
enclosed-form correspondence is set up for the general disintegration rate as an element of the
Thiele modulus, the Biot number and other key parameters (Angeloudis Stoesser Falconer and
Kim 2015). In addition, two coupled standard differential conditions are planned for the
advancement of the molecule size and used to explore the effect of the disintegration and
biodegradation forms on the bead contracting rate.
Beaudoin, D.J., Carmichael, C.A., Nelson, R.K., Reddy, C.M., Teske, A.P. and
Edgcomb, V.P., 2016. Impact of protists on a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial community
from deep-sea Gulf of Mexico sediments: A microcosm study. Deep Sea Research Part II:
Topical Studies in Oceanography, 129, pp.350-359.
Another research paper shows that a huge part of oil from the current “Deepwater
Horizon (DH) oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico” were accumulated in the seashore, which had lead
to serious environmental and monetary damage (Nixon et al. 2016). The goal of this paper were
to distinguish and portray major oil-disintegrating taxa that might be utilized as model
hydrocarbon degraders or as microbial markers of degradation. Secondly the paper describes the
in situ reaction of indigenous bacterial groups to oil pollution in shoreline biological systems
(Mason et al. 2014).. This investigation were led at civil Pensacola Beach, FL, where compound
examination uncovered weathered oil hydrocarbon (C8 to C40) was 3.1 to 4,500 mg kg-1 in
beach sands. The researchers identified an aggregate of 24 bacterial strains from 14 genera were

5MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
disengaged from oiled shoreline sands and affirmed as oil-corrupting microorganisms. Separated
bacterial strains were principally “Gammaproteobacteria”, incorporating delegates of genera with
known oil degraders (“Alcanivorax, Marinobacter, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter”).
Arrangement libraries produced from oiled sands uncovered phylotypes that demonstrated high
succession personality (up to 99%) to rRNA quality arrangements from the oil-corrupting
bacterial disconnects. The plenitude of bacterial SSU rRNA quality successions were 10-crease
higher in oiled (0.44*107 to 10.2 *107 duplicates g-1) versus clean (0.024*107 to 1.4*107
duplicates g-1) sand. Group examination uncovered a particular reaction to oil defilement, and
SSU rRNA quality wealth got from the sort “Alcanivorax” demonstrated the biggest increment
in relative plenitude in defiled examples (Kimes et al. 2014). The researchers finally address that
oil pollution from the DH spill profoundly affected the plenitude and group synthesis of
indigenous microscopic organisms in Gulf shoreline sands, and our proof focuses to individuals
from the “Gammaproteobacteria” (“Alcanivorax, Marinobacter) and Alphaproteobacteria
(Rhodobacteraceae”) as key players in oil corruption there.

6MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
Lyu, L.N., Ding, H., Cui, Z. and Valentine, D.L., 2018. Wax-liquid transition
modulates hydrocarbon respiration rates in Alcanivorax borkumensis
SK2. EnvironmentalScience & Technology Letters.
Source: (ScienceDaily 2018)
Another article published in ScienceDaily (2018) showed that researchers have found the
viability of two kinds of microbes, which could be utilized as a part without bounds to enable
battle to oil slick debacles. Alcanivorax borkumensis changes over hydrocarbons into
unsaturated fats which at that point frame along the cell film. New bits of knowledge on the
microorganisms Oleispira antarctica are imperative to comprehend their adjustment to low
temperatures and could help in moderation techniques for oil slicks in polar oceans or the remote

7MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
ocean (ScienceDaily 2018). The research article from which this article was highlighted is
described in the following paragraph.
The research group describes the process by which marine microbes that can convert
pollutants and oils into soluble hydrocarbons like Alcanivorax borkumensis. The microbe can
destroy blends of n-alkanes as they happen in marine oil slicks. The researchers carried out
examinations that determine development and physiology of these microorganisms when grown
with n-alkanes of various chain lengths (C6 to C30) showed that as the substrates were yet
deficient. Development rates expanded with expanding alkane bind length up to a most extreme
amongst C12 and C19, with no apparent contrast amongst even-and odd-numbered chain lengths,
before diminishing with chain lengths more noteworthy than C19. The researchers proved that,
surface hydrophobicity of alkane-developed cells, can be evaluated by assurance of the water
contact edges, demonstrated a comparable example, with most extreme esteems related with
development rates on alkanes with chain lengths amongst C11 and C19 and altogether brings
down qualities for cells developed on pyruvate medium (Hassanshahian Zeynalipour and Musa
2014). A. borkumensis was found to join and adjust the unsaturated fat intermediates created by
the comparing n-alkane corruption pathway. Cells developed on unmistakable n-alkanes
demonstrated that A. borkumensis can fuse as well as adjust unsaturated fat intermediates got
from the alkane corruption pathway. The researchers compared those alkane grown cells with
contrasting cells developed on pyruvate and those developed on hexadecane as far as their
resilience toward two gatherings of lethal natural mixes, chlorophenols and alkanols. speaking to
seriously considered natural mixes, uncovered comparable resistances toward chlorophenols,
though the toxicities of various n-alkanols were fundamentally lessened when hexadecane were
utilized as a carbon source (Sevilla Yuste and Rojo 2015). The researchers suggested that one

8MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
versatile instrument of A. borkumensis to these dangerous natural solvents, the movement of cis-
trans isomerization of unsaturated fats were demonstrated. The researcher believe that these
discoveries could be confirmed by a point by point transcriptomic correlation between societies
developed on hexadecane and pyruvate and including dissolvable pressure caused by the
expansion of 1-octanol as the most dangerous middle of the road of n-alkane debasement.
Kleindienst, S., Seidel, M., Ziervogel, K., Grim, S., Loftis, K., Harrison, S., Malkin, S.,
Perkins, M., Field, J., Sogin, M., Dittmar, T., Passow, U., Medeiros, P. and Joye, S. (2015).
Chemical dispersants can suppress the activity of natural oil-degrading
microorganisms. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(48), pp.14900-14905.
The authors of the paper investigated to find that substance dispersants or plasticizers
connected to either deep water or surface water from the Gulf of Mexico did not fortify oil
biodegradation (King Kostka Hazen and Sobecky 2015). The researchers coordinated an
estimation of alkane and aromatic hydrocarbon oxidation rates uncovered either reduction or no
agitation of oil biodegradation within the sight of plasticizers (Prince 2015). Nonetheless,
plasticizer influenced microbial group creation and enhanced bacterial populaces with the
capacity to utilize plasticizers-determined mixes as development substrates, while oil-alone
alterations advanced for common hydrocarbon degraders (Kimes Callaghan Suflita and Morris
2014). The details of the research is as follows- amid the “Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico”, the use of 7 million liters of substance plasticizers meant to invigorate
microbial unrefined petroleum biodegradation by expanding the bioavailability of oil mixes.
Moreover, the impacts of plasticizers on oil biodegradation rates are faced off regarding. The
researchers used facility tests, where they replicated ecological conditions practically identical to
the hydrocarbon-rich, 1,100 m deep cloud that framed amid the “Deepwater Horizon” release.

9MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
The researchers showed that the nearness of plasticizers essentially adjusted the microbial group
arrangement through choice for potential plasticizers biodegrading Colwellia, which likewise
grew in situ in Gulf deep waters amid the release. Conversely, oil expansion to deepwater tests
without plasticizers invigorated development of normal hydrocarbon-biodegrading
Marinobacter. The researchers also showed that in these deepwater microcosm tests, plasticizers
did not upgrade heterotrophic microbial movement or hydrocarbon oxidation rates. The
researchers decided to explore the different avenues regarding surface seawater from an
anthropogenically determined oil spill substantiated the deepwater microcosm comes about as
hindrance of hydrocarbon turnover were seen within the sight of plasticizers proposing that the
microcosm discoveries are extensively pertinent crosswise over marine natural surroundings.
Finally the researchers question any saying that their extracted dataset to true situations questions
whether plasticizers invigorate microbial oil debasement in profound sea waters and rather
features that plasticizers can apply a negative impact on microbial hydrocarbon corruption rates.
The above discussion show that with the use of modern technology the oil spill in the
oceans can be controlled and save the oceanic eco system. The microorganisms can be of
excellent help and turn the oil globules into soluble hydrocarbon which does not harm the
aquatic ecosystem. Many bacteria have been discovered that take part in the process and many
researchers have invested time effort and funding to figure out mechanism by which these
bacteria engulf oil globules. Before the Gulf of Mexico oil spill scientist were not focused to find
out the exact species of bacteria that helped in the process. They used DNA typing and
sequencing techniques to determine the species that perform best during this process, so naturally
only those selected organisms are being cultured and released into the sea. The success rates of
these researches are massive and have shown positive outcomes both experimentally and

10MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
practically as disaster management during crisis. Certain substances induce the effect of
microorganism that can be used along with the microbe dispersal at the affected area. The
process although effective is without a question time consuming. The process of complete oil
removal and conversions of soluble hydrocarbon can take days to happen. The focus of the
research should be on the facilitation of the degradation process.

11MICROBES- FRIEND OR FOE?
References
Angeloudis, A., Stoesser, T., Falconer, R.A. and Kim, D., 2015. Flow, transport and disinfection
performance in small-and full-scale contact tanks. Journal of Hydro-Environment
Research, 9(1), pp.15-27.
Bramhachari, P.V., Reddy, D.R.S. and Kotresha, D., 2016. Biodegradation of catechol by free
and immobilized cells of Achromobacter xylosoxidans strain 15DKVB isolated from paper and
pulp industrial effluents. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 7, pp.36-44.
Cheng, Y., Yuan, T., Deng, Y., Lin, C., Zhou, J., Lei, Z., Shimizu, K. and Zhang, Z., 2018. Use
of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria enriched from sewage sludge to biologically remove H 2 S from
biogas at an industrial-scale biogas plant. Bioresource Technology Reports.
Dinan, T.G. and Cryan, J.F., 2017. Microbes, immunity, and behavior: psychoneuroimmunology
meets the microbiome. Neuropsychopharmacology, 42(1), p.178.
Hassanshahian, M., Zeynalipour, M.S. and Musa, F.H., 2014. Isolation and characterization of
crude oil degrading bacteria from the Persian Gulf (Khorramshahr provenance). Marine pollution
bulletin, 82(1-2), pp.39-44.
Horizon: the EU Research & Innovation magazine. (2018). Oil-loving microbes could gobble up
slicks and spills. [online] Available at: https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/oil-loving-microbes-
could-gobble-slicks-and-spills_en.html [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].