Microflora Involved in Phytoremediation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons

EPA Grant Number: R827015-01-0
Title: Microflora Involved in Phytoremediation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons
Investigators: David P. Nagle, John S. Fletcher
Institution: University of Oklahoma
EPA Project Officer: Bala Krishnan
Project Period: August 1, 2000 to July 31, 2001 (N/C Ext. August 1, 2001 to July 31, 2002)
Project Amount: $88,979
Research Category: Phytoremediation

Description:

WORK COMPLETED (Aug. 31 to Nov. 30, 2001)

  1. Quantitative PCR analyses of dioxygenase and ribosomal genes has been completed on several PAH-degrading organisms isolated from field samples.
  2. New, potentially improved, primers have been made and tested in efforts to establish those that may be used to quantify the generic dioxygenase potential of soil-DNA extracts.

RESULTS

  1. PCR analysis of nah-gene DNA parallels data collected with conventional plate counts.
  2. Several sets of primers have been demonstrated to not fulfill our goals to develop generic dioxygenase primers, additional ones remain to be tested.

SIGNIFICANCE

Quantitative PCR determinations of the nah gene will be a much more rapid and potentially more encompassing method to estimate the degradative properties of soil microflora.