Scientists in Germany Reveal How Soil Bacteria Break Down Toxic Chemicals in the Environment

The team at Ruhr University Bochum, led by Professor Dirk Tischler, revealed how soil bacteria can help clean up toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment. The research team found that a large genome in the bacterium Rhodococcus opacus 1CP contains multiple enzymes capable of breaking down harmful aromatic compounds, such as phenols, cresols, and styrenes. The findings of the study were published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Prof. Tischler explained that these bacteria can act as “clean-up specialists” under a wide variety of environmental conditions. The enzymes in Rhodococcus opacus 1CP work in specific sequences to form metabolic pathways that break down aromatic compounds. “Understanding these processes is very important to us because it not only helps us understand how to remove pollutants from the environment, but also how to support ecosystems in doing this themselves,” Prof. Tischler said.

The bacterium's genome contains redundant enzymes, allowing it to adapt to varying conditions, including changes in oxygen, temperature, or nutrient levels. The study also found that when certain enzymes are switched off, new metabolic pathways open up and become active. Two or three enzymes of the same class are typically involved in the initial activation, and if these enzymes are switched off, others are recruited to break down the chemicals through alternative pathways.

For more information, read the Press Release from the Ruhr University Bochum.