Title Minireview] Alpine Microorganisms: Useful Tools for Low-Temperature Bioremediation
Author Rosa Margesin
Address Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Bibliography Journal of Microbiology, 45(4),281-285, 2007,
DOI
Key Words alpine, bioremediation, petroleum hydrocarbons, phenol
Abstract Cold environments, including polar and alpine regions, are colonized by a wide diversity of microorganisms able to thrive at low temperatures. There is evidence of a wide range of metabolic activities in alpine cold ecosystems. Like polar microorganisms, alpine microorganisms play a key ecological role in their natural habitats for nutrient cycling, litter degradation, and many other processes. A number of studies have demonstrated the capacity of alpine microorganisms to degrade efficiently a wide range of hydrocarbons, including phenol, phenol-related compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons, and the feasibility of low-temperature bioremediation of European alpine soils by stimulating the degradation capacity of indigenous microorganisms has also been shown.
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