Objective
Problems to be solved
Chlorinated hydrocarbons are the most important and widespread class of contaminants of soil and groundwater in all European countries and environmentally friendly methods have to be developed to abate this pollution. Many examples of bacterial transformation and, even, mineralisation of these compounds have been found. In field situations, stimulated or natural (intrinsic) bioremediation may, therefore, be a suitable remediation strategy for reducing risks. However, in practice, it is difficult to predict the bioremediation potential of the indigenous microbial population at polluted sites. Hence, there is a need for the development of effective, easy to handle tools for predicting degradative potential or for monitoring the effective stimulation of catabolic pathways in site. These tools should not be dependent on the culturability of contaminant-degrading organisms but, rather, be directed at the detection of the genes specific for micro organisms and genes encoding enzymes that catalyse the key reactions in the degradation pathways of contaminants.
Scientific objectives and approach
Molecular detection methods will developed and optimised for the monitoring of bioremediation processes. A combination of detection of specific micro organisms, detection of catabolic genes and transformation activity, all in site, will allow the accurate analysis of in site natural attenuation. Results of the characterisation of intrinsic potentials of organohalogen-polluted sites by classical microcosm studies will be used to assess the usefulness of the molecular tools developed during the time-course of the project.
A knowledge base created by the detailed genetic and biochemical characterisation of a collection of DNA segments encoding catabolic genes, will be used for the development of probes and primers for extracting the broadest possible diversity of genes from the environment. A database relating genetic structure to metabolic function for various key enzymes of halogenated hydrocarbon degradation will be built up and after optimisation of protocols for isolating DNA and RNA from environmental samples, as well as the adaptation of quantitative PCR methods, used for the development of specific probes and primers to analyse and quantify the presence and expression of degradative pathways in contaminated samples, to characterise enrichment cultures and to monitor the evolution of dechlorinating activity in microcosms. Results of this validation phase will be used to optimise the molecular tools already available. Finally, newly developed and optimised methods will be converted to an economic method to identify and quantify by molecular methods the natural attenuation potential of contaminated sites.
Expected impacts
The project will directly contribute to a better pollution and waste management and reduce exposure to harmful pollutants by increasing our understanding of the biochemical factors that are critical in degradation of halogenated pollutants in the environment and thereby allowing the rational manipulation of biological or other parameters at a polluted site. The application of rapid molecular culture-independent detection methods for bio monitoring purposes will allow accurate analyses of in site natural attenuation and stimulated in site biorestauration, leading to decreased costs of biotechnological remediation. Therefore, the results of this project will increase the market for suppliers of biotechnological waste-treatments and consultancy in environmental biotechnology. The proposed efforts will not only help in facilitating biological remediation and stimulate the use of those techniques in Europe. We anticipate that the project will also lead to automate high-throughput methods that allow a routine use and will become available to SMEs working on bioremediation and thereby will lead to the development of a technology for industrial use, will foster the use of environmentally friendly biological remediation techniques and generally support the use of new molecular methods to monitor biological processes. The stimulation of bioremediation techniques furthermore directly contributes to preserve and enhance the environment.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNA
- engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediation
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbons
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymes
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
38124 BRAUNSCHWEIG
Germany