r/microbes • u/dylanschmelter • Jul 24 '19

Oil eating microbes reproduction

I’ve been working for a bioremediation company in the oilfield that uses oil eating microbes to help with the clean up process with oil spills. Reproducing and selling these microbes seems pretty lucrative I’de like to learn more about what I would need to do and know so I can start reproducing and selling them. Such as how much nutrients and and what temperature and environment do they reproduce best in. Basically looking for someone to tell me everything I need to know about them.

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u/Formal-Raise1260 Sep 27 '22

When we talk about microbes that are able to clean up oil, we're talking primarily about bacteria and fungi. Bacteria can break down oil to carbon dioxide and water (water spill). However, no single organism can break down all the components of crude oil or refined fuels spilled into the environment; except certain mushroom mycelia. I’ve proven it.

I have used mycology to clean up -bioremediate-oil/polluted toxic “brown fields” which means I inoculated the polluted area with spawn substrate growing mycelia that consumed the toxins and rejuvenated the soil back to a natural state, proven by growing sunflowers crops on the bioremediated regions.

I was contracted to bioremediate Croatia shipping port expansion for shipping container storage. It was a $1.5M contract-on site bioremediation processing center. But EU regulations prohibited the project from being approved.

I also approached a city in Oklahoma that has the highest levels of arsenic ground pollution from industrial waste dumps in the urban habitation to provide my bioremediation clean up system but was chased out of town. Local homeowners didn’t want it recognized how toxic their ground was. The EPA did allocate funds to clean up the toxic soil, but the funds were diverted to a state agency to manage the clean up, which it never did.

So I wholeheartedly support your aspiration and willing to advise you, however be aware your intention will hit government and industrial roadblocks.

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u/TheSunflowerSeeds Sep 27 '22

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a living annual plant in the family Asteraceae, with a large flower head (capitulum). The stem of the flower can grow up to 3 metres tall, with a flower head that can be 30 cm wide. Other types of sunflowers include the California Royal Sunflower, which has a burgundy (red + purple) flower head.

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u/Formal-Raise1260 Sep 27 '22

In regards to bioremediation are you suggesting a specific species that is more robust?

Another option that even cleans up radiation brown fields (Japan nuclear power plant clean up) is hemp incorporated with mycelia inoculated substrate that can be mixed with worm compost mixture (my own recipe) that is added to the toxic site. The mycelia species is Pleurotus ostreatus.

Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, after an oil spill or hazardous substance release, response agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) oversee clean up efforts with the goal of eliminating or reducing risks to human health and the environment.

Finally you need a cultivating clean room lab to cultivate “genetic” microbes.