Hello Jacqui.
You are right in suspecting a broad group. The conventional wisdom says
that Corynebacteria, (Arthrobacter), Mycobacteria, (Streptomyces) and
Pseudomonas are the first candidates with the latter group predominant.
You can get some way with just straight microscopy. Worth looking at the
colonies on the plates as well in case there are some Nocardia there. It
might be possible to try a suitable G-ve API set on any you "think" might
be Pseudomonas, just to see what you get. Worth getting fresh isolates
preserved as soon as you are sure that they are pure as fresh
environmental isolates may well shed characters when continually subbed
in the lab.
The daftest hydrocarbon utiliser I have seen mentioned was
"an achlorophilous alga" - though how you recognise it as such I have no idea!
Peter Harris,
Reading, UK.
On Mon, 11 Dec 1995, Jacqui wrote:
>> Hello,
>> I read your reply on Bacterial i.d. I'm currently trying to identify some
> hydrocarbon utilising organisms which have been isolated from
> environmental samples (soil and sediments). I don't really Know where to
> start, as you'll know this metabolic capacity is common to a large and
> heterogenous group. If you could point me in the right direction I'd be
> really grateful. Thanks. Jacqui Shand, Phd Student, University of York.
>>>
