Comprehensive understanding of life activities in organic solvents and application to green sustainable technologies

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K20072
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Environmental conservation measure and related fields
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: IWABUCHI Noriyuki 日本大学, 生物資源科学部, 准教授 (90328708)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 有機溶媒耐性 / 非水系代謝 / 石油汚染浄化 / Rhodococcus

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined the utilization of dissolved oxygen by Rhodococcus bacteria in the alkane phase of two-phase cultures in order to clarify bacterial growth mechanisms in the presence of alkanes. The results showed that the dissolved oxygen in the alkane phase remarkably decreased when viable cells were present in the alkane phase, irrespective of the kind of alkane or Rhodococcus strain tested. Thus, our findings indicate that Rhodococcus strains can grow in the alkane phase by utilizing the dissolved oxygen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to experimentally demonstrate that translocated cells in organic solvents utilize the dissolved oxygen in the inorganic solvent for growth.

Free Research Field

環境微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Rhodococcus属細菌は、その7割以上が有機溶媒中で生育できる特殊な微生物群であり、ある種の生命の新しい形態である。もし、「なぜ水相より有機溶媒相での生育を選択し、そこでの生命活動が、著しく低下しないのか？」という疑問を明らかに出来れば、それは、生命の新しい形態の機構の一部の理解に繋がり、学術の形体や方向性を大きく変える基本的な基礎的知見となる。