Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: JOSE APARECIDO DE SOUSA BERNARDINO LEITE

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JOSE APARECIDO DE SOUSA BERNARDINO LEITE
DATE: 25/12/2025
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Videoconferência
TITLE:

FORMULATION OF A BACTERIAL CONSORTIUM FOR HEAVY OIL DEGRADATION

KEY WORDS:

Bacterial Consortium. Bioremediation. Gene Expression.

PAGES: 70
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Bioquímica
SUMMARY:

Environmental contamination by heavy crude oil represents a persistent and complex challenge due to its high viscosity, density, and low biodegradability. In this context, bacterial bioremediation emerges as a sustainable and effective alternative, particularly when supported by strategies that integrate genomic and functional data for the rational selection of strains. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate an efficient bacterial consortium for the degradation of heavy crude oil, using isolates obtained from the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genomics (LBMG). Genomic analysis of 68 isolates using the BioRemPP and RAST platforms allowed the identification of their genetic potential related to the degradation of aliphatic, aromatic, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (HCs). Of these isolates, 53 were reactivated and subjected to the functional DCPIP assay, in which 34 showed degradation rates above 50% of heavy crude oil. The selection of isolates for consortium formulation considered those that exhibited greater diversity of genes associated with the degradation of different HC classes. Together with the biodegradation rates observed in the 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP) assay, this stage resulted in the selection of three isolates (BD1, BD54, BD61), which were evaluated for compatibility and subsequently reassessed using DCPIP to determine the most efficient combination. The three isolates (Micrococcus luteus BD1, Acinetobacter baumannii oleum ficedula BD54, and Ochrobactrum oleinvorans BD61) reached 73% degradation in the DCPIP assay, a combination referred to as BMC1. In the Total Oil and Grease (TOG) assay, a 77% reduction in residual oil was observed after 15 days, a performance that was statistically superior to that of the individual isolates. In the biosurfactant analysis, the consortium achieved an emulsification index of 80%, surpassing the control (1% SDS). The results suggest that the metabolic articulation among the isolates, distributed across 19 metabolic pathways associated with HC degradation, supports the degradation efficiency observed for the consortium. It is concluded that the BMC consortium represents a promising biotechnological alternative for the bioremediation of environments contaminated by heavy crude oil, combining efficiency, synergy, and biosurfactant production.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interna - 1549705 - ADRIANA FERREIRA UCHOA
Presidente - 1453487 - KATIA CASTANHO SCORTECCI
Externo à Instituição - WYDEMBERG JOSÉ DE ARAÚJO - IFPB