Xenobiotics are often not homogeneously spread in the soil
matrix. Chemotaxis enlarges the capacity of motile bacteria to
sense low concentrations of essential nutrients. This ability
directed towards a xenobiotic would be a characteristic of
interest ofr pollutant degrading bacteria. This project will
assess the existence of pollutant directed chemotaxis in micro-
bial populations of contaminated soils using a novel isolation
method, which selects on the basis of the capacity of environ-
mental bacteria to exhibit pollutant directed chemotaxis rather
than on the capacity to utilise the xenobiotic. The role of
bio-availability on chemotaxis will be examined. The isolates
will be characterized regarding phylogeny and genetics of the
chemotaxis response and will be used in microcisms for bio-
augmentation of polluted soils.
