Description
Petroleum hydrocarbons are among the most frequent groundwater contaminants in Hungary and clean-up of the contaminated subsurface environments is always obligatory by law. The aim of the project is to set up a molecular biology laboratory, which could help to reveal the diversity of microbial communities of hydrocarbon contaminated ecosystems. The methods to be applied by the laboratory will give opportunity to reveal whether the autochtonous microbial community has the metabolic potential to cope with the contamination or there is a need to apply biostimulation or bioaugmentation. The methods will be also able to reveal whether toxic compounds at the contaminated site would inhibit the biodegradation processes. To achieve the aims of the project environmental DNA isolates will be investigated by high throughput next generation sequencing methods (Roche 454 and Illumina Miseq platforms). To measure the toxic effect of the contaminated environment on the microorganisms involved in the biodegradation process an MFCDiagn device is applied during the project. Companies active at the field of remediation of contaminated sites are main target group.
Summary of project results
Petroleum hydrocarbons are among the most frequent groundwater contaminants in Hungary and clean-up of the contaminated subsurface environments is always obligatory by law. The aim of the project was to set up a molecular biology laboratory, which can help to reveal the diversity of microbial communities of hydrocarbon contaminated ecosystems. The methods applied by the laboratory give opportunity to reveal whether the autochtonous microbial community has the metabolic potential to cope with the contamination or there is a need to apply biostimulation or bioaugmentation. The methods developed during the project are also able to reveal whether toxic compounds at the contaminated site would inhibit the biodegradation processes. To achieve the aims of the project environmental DNA isolates were investigated by high throughput next generation sequencing methods (Roche 454 and Illumina Miseq platforms). To measure the toxic effect of the contaminated environment on the microorganisms involved in the biodegradation process an MFCDiagn device was developed and applied during the project.
Summary of bilateral results