Biotechnologies for Marine Oil Spill Cleanup: Indissoluble Ties with Microorganisms

Francesca Mapelli; Alberto Scoma; Grégoire Michoud; Federico Aulenta; Nico Boon; Sara Borin; Nicolas Kalogerakis; Daniele Daffonchio

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.04.003

Biotechnologies for Marine Oil Spill Cleanup: Indissoluble Ties with Microorganisms

Trends Biotechnol. 2017 Sep;35(9):860-870. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.04.003. Epub 2017 May 13.

Authors

Francesca Mapelli¹, Alberto Scoma², Grégoire Michoud³, Federico Aulenta⁴, Nico Boon², Sara Borin¹, Nicolas Kalogerakis⁵, Daniele Daffonchio⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
² Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), University of Gent, B 9000 Gent, Belgium.
³ King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, 23955-6900 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00015 Monterotondo, Italy.
⁵ School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece.
⁶ King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, 23955-6900 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: daniele.daffonchio@kaust.edu.sa.

PMID: 28511936
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.04.003

Abstract

The ubiquitous exploitation of petroleum hydrocarbons (HCs) has been accompanied by accidental spills and chronic pollution in marine ecosystems, including the deep ocean. Physicochemical technologies are available for oil spill cleanup, but HCs must ultimately be mineralized by microorganisms. How environmental factors drive the assembly and activity of HC-degrading microbial communities remains unknown, limiting our capacity to integrate microorganism-based cleanup strategies with current physicochemical remediation technologies. In this review, we summarize recent findings about microbial physiology, metabolism and ecology and describe how microbes can be exploited to create improved biotechnological solutions to clean up marine surface and deep waters, sediments and beaches.

Keywords: deep sea; hydrostatic pressure; oil bioremediation; oil spill snorkel; slow-release particles.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental
Biotechnology / methods*
Petroleum Pollution*
Seawater / microbiology*
Water Microbiology*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism*
Water Purification / methods*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical