FR Les microorganismes psychrophiles, outils de choix pour la bioremdiation.

DGTRE, Programme mobilisateur BIOVAL, Volet universitaire

Plusieurs tudes rcentes montrent que la "bioremdiation" est la technologie de choix pour l'assainissement des sites pollus. Ces procds se heurtent cependant l'effet temprature car les souches bactriennes utilises sont inoprantes pendant la priode s'tendant de l'automne au printemps en raison des faibles tempratures qui limitent la multiplication des micro-organismes. L'Unit de Biochimie de l'Universit de Lige dispose d'une trs importante collection de micro-organismes psychrophiles, rcolts dans l'Antarctique, qui pourraient rsoudre ce problme en raison de leur multiplication aise des tempratures parfois infrieures 0C. Cet intrt se double d'un autre avantage car ces organismes produisent en gnral des enzymes de dgradation dont les activits spcifiques sont bien plus leves que leurs homologues msophiles. Au dpart de la collection de micro-organismes dont dispose l'Universit de Lige, le projet aura un double objectif :

UK Psychrophilic bacteria used as a tool in bioremediation . DGTRE, Programme mobilisateur BIOVAL, Volet universitaire
In the recent years a lot of studies were done showing that bioremediation is very successful technology for degradation and detoxification of environmental contaminants. The growth capacity of microorganisms generally used in the environmental treatments is limited during the periods from autumn to spring as a consequence of low temperature. The using of psychrophilic microorganisms is a tool to avoid this limitation as these microorganisms are able not only survive but also grow at low temperature, often closed to 0C. Moreover, the using of psychrophilic bacteria is very favorable in bioremediation as the enzymes produced by these microorganisms possess of higher catalytic efficiency and specific activities in comparison with their mesophilic homologous. Department of Biochemistry of University in Lige possesses of important collection of psychrophilic microorganisms isolated in Antarctic. Based on the growth and enzymatic capacities of the microorganisms accessible at Department of Biochemistry, the project consists in two objects :

La production de starters (micro-organismes conditionns pour le traitement des eaux rsiduaires provenant d'industries alimentaires ou d'activits domestiques principalement contamines par des polysaccharides, des liquides ou des protines; la production de starters avec ou sans additifs conditionns pour le traitement des sols contamins par des produits ptroliers (hydrocarbures) et en particulier des produits dits rcalcitrants.

The production of starters (micro-organisms designed to be used in the treatment of waste-water originated of food industry and domestic activities. In general, polysaccharides, lipids and proteins pollute this kind of waste). The production of starters with or without additives designed to be used in the decontamination of the soils polluted by petroleum products (hydrocarbons) and especially by the recalcitrant compounds.

Les productions des micro-organismes slectionns devront entrer dans la composition de starters permettant l'ensemencement. Les conditions de production seront optimalises afin d'atteindre des concentrations de cellules de 1010 cellules/ml. Des tudes antrieures ont montr que des concentration de 1.106 cellules/g de matire sont gnralement suffisantes pour permettre la dgradation des polluants. Ainsi par exemple, avec la production d'un fermenteur de 2 m3, on dispose de biomasse permettant l'ensemencement de 20 000 tonnes de terre. La recherche sera ralise en collaboration par 3 laboratoires appartenant 2 universits diffrentes

The selected microorganisms are added to the starters in order to allow the inoculation of contaminated materials. The conditions of microorganism production have to be optimized to achieve the cell concentration about 1010 cells/ml. The previous studies showed that cell concentration about 106 cells/g of the mass is generally sufficient for the degradation of pollutants. So, for example using the fermentor of 2 m3, we can obtain a biomass to inoculate about 20 000 tons of soil. The research will be done in collaboration with three laboratories of two different universities.