Biosurfactant and Petroleum Bioremediation

The main target of my project was to synthesize a biosurfactant by utilizing some microbial strains either known or isolated from a petroleum contaminated environment. The study of the different growth conditions of the microbial culture for attaining optimum surface properties was also an essential target. Mutation of the microbial strain was another route to increase the microbial potential with respect to the surface activity of the obtained biosurfactant. Thus, the produced biosurfactant was aimed to make progress in biodegradation of crude petroleum oil contaminating sea water in a locality at Suez, Egypt. It was expected that the target biosurfactant may enhance biodegradation of the hydrophobic petroleum oil either by emulsification or solublization or both.