Azoarcus tolulyticus is a gram-negative member of the Eubacteria domain of the tree of life. It is further classified into the beta-subclass of the proteobacterial kingdom. Most Azoarcus are about one micrometer in diameter and are facultative anaerobes. This means that they prefer to use elements other than oxygen for their processes, but on occasion they will respire using oxygen if the situation presents itself.What makes A. tolulyticus so special is linked to its anaerobic function. What was found is that this bacteria is a toluene degrader. Nothing new in the field of bacteria except that A. tolulyticus is one of the first anaerobic toluene degrading bacteria to be isolated. Isolation of the bacteria was first accomplished from gasoline contaminated aquifers in Michigan. While working on her doctoral dissertation, Joan Chee-Sanford discovered it and it has since gone on to be featured as the Microbe of the Week on the website Microbe Zoo.
The find was an important one in the field of bioremediation, using bacteria to clean up contaminated sites because it was theorized that A. tolulyticus could be used to clean up gasoline polluted aquifers. A. tolulyticus degrades toluene which is one of the main toxic components found in gasoline. The hope is that by introducing the bacteria into the aquifer and then charging it with nitrogen one could effectively remove the contaminants that make the water unsafe for humans. Nitrate, which is water soluble, would be added for use by the bacteria so that it could create a massive amount of energy for metabolism and in turn degrade large quantities of toluene. This process is looked on as favorable when compared with building expensive aeration tanks for other methods of water detoxification.
It is yet to be seen what will become of Azoarcus tolulyticus, but if it helps to make drinking water safe you can rest assured that it will attain prominence before long.
*Disclaimer - This report was written by a student participaring in a microbiology course at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The accuracy of the contents of this report is not guaranteed and it is recommended that you seek additional sources of information to verify the contents.
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