A potential biofilm forming and phenanthrene utilizing marine bacterium Pseudomonas mendocina NR802 was isolated from Rushukulya, Odisha, East Coast of India. The effect of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) on biofilm growth and phenanthrene degradation was evaluated. Among the various tested concentrations, 20 mM of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) showed a significant enhancement in biofilm production by the bacterium. The SEM-EDAX study showed that the elemental composition of the biofilm varied significantly when grown in the presence of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+). The CSLM analysis of biofilms grown in the presence of 20 mM Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) reveal the critical role of these ions on biofilm architectural parameters such as total biomass, biofilm thickness, roughness coefficient and surface to biovolume ratio. Ca(2+) was found to enhance the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production and phenanthrene degradation. Ca(2+) enhanced the biofilm growth in a dose dependent manner, whereas Mg(2+) significantly increased the cell growth in biofilm. More than 15% increase in phenanthrene degradation was observed when biofilm was grown in the presence of an additional 20 mM Ca(2+). This study also supports the fundamental role of Ca(2+) in biofilm growth, architecture as well as biofilm-mediated pollutant degradation.
Keywords: Biofilm; Degradation; Extracellular polymeric substances; Phenanthrene; Roughness coefficient.
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