Selective adsorption of hydrocarbon-oxidizing Rhodococcus cells in a column with hydrophobized poly(acrylamide) cryogel.

A method for selective adsorption of Rhodococcus cells in the column with hydrophobized poly(acrylamide) cryogel (cryoPAAG) was developed that allowed rhodococci separation from mixed bacterial populations and their effective concentration within a sponge-like gel matrix. Hydrophobization of cryoPAAG using the n-dodecane graft (C12) was performed to enhance the adhesion of Rhodococcus cells to the cryogel; this was suggested by our finding that alkanotrophic rhodococci possess high adhesive activity (91-98%) towards n-alkanes, whereas other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria tested did not adhere strongly to hydrocarbons. The selective index of the hydrophobic C12-cryoPAAG column for Rhodococcus cells was 72% that ensured their separation from complex bacterial cultures. Respirometry results using the Columbus Micro-Oxymax respirometer showed that the maximal respiratory activity of C12-cryoPAAG-immobilized Rhodococcus cells incubated with petroleum hydrocarbons was 1.6-1.8 times higher than that of freely suspended cells, and this correlated with the largest immobilized cell number. Moreover, high respiration rates were maintained over 3 weeks of incubation, indicating a considerable functional stability of the cryoPAAG-immobilized biocatalyst developed.