Phylogenetic characterization of bioemulsifier-producing bacteria

Bacteria able to produce biological emulsifiers were isolated from different environments using different isolation media with the aim of discovering the widest diversity. The phylogenetic diversity of the isolates was evaluated by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Among 190 isolated strains, 127 released extracellular emulsifiers able to stabilize oil-water emulsions when grown on low-cost substrates. Among these, the 35 isolates that showed the highest emulsifier production on different substrates were found to belong to 16 different bacterial genera. Overall, this is the first systematic study of the diversity of bioemulsifier-producing bacteria and of their ability to produce bioemulsifiers on low-cost substrates.

► In this study we estimated the phylogenetic diversity of bioemulsifier-producing bacteria.
► The isolates with the highest bioemulsifier production belong to 16 different bacterial genera.
► Novel bioemulsifier-producing genera are Microbacterium, Cellulosomanas, Georgenia, and Micrococcus.