[Typing and evaluation of hydrocarbon-degrading activity of a bacterial strain isolated from the Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina].

During screening for oil-degrading bacteria in sediments of Bahía Blanca estuary, a bacterial strain was isolated which uses a limited number of organic compounds, especially lineal hydrocarbons. The goals of this study were to characterize the strain and to evaluate its activity on crude oil. Based on phenotypic characteristics and the analysis of 16S rDNA sequences, it was determined that the strain is strongly related to Alcanivorax borkumensis. The strain was cultured, under quasicontinuous conditions, with crude oil as sole source of carbon and energy. After 30 days of incubation, n-alkane decrease reached 86%. The isoalkanes pristane and phitane were degraded more slowly, but a decrease of about 63% was obtained. The strain studied would be useful for the bioremediation of the local coasts, so that this study will be continued in order to obtain its successful application in the environment.