- The Mexican project proposes to use bacteria to decontaminate the sea.
- It is possible to use bioremediation products that are friendly to the environment.
- As part of the basic research carried out at UNAM, the IBt has a strain collection of 300 bacteria from the site, of which 43 can degrade oil.
Although it is conventionally used at bacteria to fight some diseases could now also be useful to decontaminate the environment. In fact, the first tests have already been carried out to degrade oil and some of its derivatives such as plastics. The next step is to use them for the benefit of humanity, according to a study promoted by researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology (IBt) of UNAM.
The bacteria were detected as part of the findings of the Gulf of Mexico Research Consortium (CIGoM), with the collaboration of Liliana Pardo López and Fidel Alejandro Sánchez Flores, both IBt researchers.
Supported by the Technology Linkage and Transfer Coordination, the researchers are reviewing in detail the efficacy of microorganisms to bioremediate an oil spill, contaminated water bodies, clean up hydrocarbon contamination and, possibly, degrade plastics in water.
“We already have a range of products that can begin to be developed, from those to remediate bodies of water, to the potential to restore an oil spill, all with the package of bacteria that has been isolated from the Gulf of Mexico and that is finally part of of our contribution as researchers at UNAM”, stated Sánchez Flores.
This is how bacteria would help to decontaminate the sea
The tests consist of reviewing the effectiveness in seawater and sand. The first is carried out in Sonora, since it involves pumping 5,000 liters of seawater to have controlled contamination. On the other hand, the second one with contaminated sand will be carried out in Guerrero, in a region at the foot of the sea where there is access to it, which is put in meshes to prevent the contaminants used in the test from passing into the subsoil.
of basic science
For six years, both specialists have participated in the CIGoM oceanographic campaigns together with researchers from CICESE (Ensenada), the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, and CINVESTAV-Mérida, with the aim of knowing what type of microorganisms inhabit the Gulf of Mexico. and today they can be used as tools to bioremediate polluted beaches or waters.
“It would be excellent if bioremediation, which is an environmentally friendly technology, could be used more frequently, we believe that there is a good future there. That is, treat contaminants such as hydrocarbons, plastics, organic matter, metals, etc., damaging the environment as little as possible. It would be very good if more researchers joined this effort, and the virtuous circle of researcher and entrepreneur would be created,” said Pardo López.
Scientifically speaking, added the institutional leader before the Consortium, the results were extraordinary, the first of which is the Environmental Baseline Atlas of the Gulf of Mexico, which is a great collection for the country, we published 11 volumes on meteorology, fish, mammals, seagrasses, et cetera, and one of them is devoted to bacteria.
This effort is unprecedented, since 300 researchers from the best institutions in the country will work together to learn a little more about the Gulf.
The researchers analyzed the microorganisms with a technique called metagenomics, which allows them to extract the DNA and several more strains were taken to the laboratory to sequence their genomes, classify them and, thanks to this, today the IBt has a database of 300 isolated bacteria, of which 43 have been identified that can degrade oil.
The first step was the generation of knowledge, later a technological maturation was achieved with this package of 43 bacteria, which was protected by the UNAM as an industrial secret. To continue with the virtuous circle, this technology would have to be transferred to private initiative, added the scientist.
For this, together with CICESE experts and extraction technicians, the UNAM researchers created the company Deep Sea Genomics SA de CV, in this way the National University was able to transfer the technological package to the company with which they carry out the first pilot tests. of the efficacy of these bacteria in Sonora.
Regarding the safety of using microorganisms for the degradation of oil, hydrocarbons or other contaminants, Sánchez Flores explained that the objective is to allow them to grow in the laboratory and carry out pathogenicity tests, in order to be completely sure that they will not harm the flora. , fauna and humans, to subsequently apply them safely in the affected area.