Putative biosurfactants from polar microbial consortia

Eight marine oil snow–associated enrichment consortia from western Hudson Bay produced biosurfactants, with Pseudoalteromonas dominating and yields significantly higher at 4°C.

• Why it matters: Biosurfactants are promising for food, pharmaceutical, and bioremediation, but MOS-associated microbial consortia and their production potential remain insufficiently characterized.
• What they did: MOS aggregates from the Churchill Marine Observatory were enriched in mineral Bushnell-Haas medium with 3% NaCl and motor oil as the sole hydrocarbon source, then screened with qualitative and quantitative biosurfactant assays at 4°C and 20°C.
• The result: None showed high emulsification activity (E24 > 40%), yet biosurfactant yields increased at 4°C, and three consortia tested positive for rhamnolipid-type biosurfactants.

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