Within the scope of the doctoral thesis study of Dr. Lecturer Simge Arkan Özdemir, Head of the Podiatry Program at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Vocational School of Health Services, a new bacterial genus, 'Facivitalis istanbulensis', was discovered from samples taken from jet fuel. The study, conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Esra Sungur, a faculty member of the Department of Basic and Industrial Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Istanbul University, also included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Miray Onan, a faculty member of Istanbul University. The new genus, found after a 3-year study, has been introduced to world literature. The new bacterium is aimed to be used in critical areas such as preventing environmental pollution and sustainable energy production.
The bacterium identified within the scope of Dr. Lecturer Simge Arkan Özdemir’s doctoral thesis study was defined with a polyphasic approach and named ‘Facivitalis istanbulensis’.
The Study Has Been Introduced to World Literature
The new genus and the first species belonging to this genus, found after a 3-year study, were published in the journal ‘Antonie van Leeuwenhoek’, which holds a competent and respected position in the taxonomy of microorganisms, thus being introduced to world literature.
Furthermore, this new discovery was also featured in national and international press.
Unique Genes That Can Contribute to Survival in Challenging Conditions Were Identified…
Advanced molecular analyses identified unique genes in the Facivitalis istanbulensis bacterium that can contribute to combating various stress factors, virulence, and pathogenicity, and to survival in challenging conditions. The functions of some of these genes have not yet been clarified.
The new bacterium is aimed to be used in critical areas such as preventing environmental pollution and sustainable energy production.
The Bacterium's Genome Was Revealed to Contain 100 Genes…
Additionally, a bioinformatics orthology analysis was performed using the HADEG (Hydrocarbon Aerobic Degradation Enzymes and Genes) database for the Facivitalis istanbulensis strain.
It was revealed that the bacterium's genome contains 100 genes encoding proteins involved in the metabolic processes of hydrocarbon degradation.
Among these metabolic processes, the degradation of aromatics is the most prominent (58%), followed by the degradation of alkanes (18%), plastics (9%), alkenes (7%), and biosurfactant production (4%). It was determined that 9 of these genes involved in hydrocarbon degradation and biosurfactant production processes are unique to the Facivitalis istanbulensis bacterium.
Therefore, Facivitalis istanbulensis bacterium is a potential microorganism for the development of both hydrocarbon bioremediation processes, especially aromatics, and biosurfactant production processes within the scope of biotechnological studies.
Bacterial species in the Sphingomonadaceae family, to which Facivitalis istanbulensis taxonomically belongs, are frequently preferred microorganisms for bioremediation applications. Therefore, the identification of new genera/species such as Facivitalis istanbulensis for this family, and consequently the discovery of potential new gene clusters, was anticipated to be exciting for bioremediation studies with these microorganisms in many areas, including hydrocarbon degradation.