Biodegradation refers to the breakdown of substances by living organisms or, more usually, by the enzymes produced by the organisms. Microorganisms in nature breakdown many substances in the course of their normal lives. Different microorganisms are able to breakdown different substances. Variour microorganisms possess the ability to degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals. Many of these substances are considered (by humans) to be pollutants and therefore there has been much interest in harnessing the naturally occurring ability of microorganisms to remove of pollutants from contaminated areas.

In addition, there has been considerable interest in genetically modifying microorganisms to increase their usefulness for this purpose.

Further reading: Microbial Biodegradation: Genomics and Molecular Biology

Labels: biodegradation, bioremediation, contamination, pollutants