Production and characterization of PHB from two novel strains of Bacillus spp. isolated from soil and activated sludge.

The present study reports two bacteria, designated 87I and 112A, which were isolated from soil and activated sludge samples from Hyderabad, India, and that are capable of producing poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). Based on phenotypical features and genotypic investigations, these microorganisms were identified as Bacillus spp. Their optimal growth occurred between 28 degrees C and 30 degrees C and pH 7. Bacillus sp. 87I yielded a maximum of 70.04% dry cell weight (DCW) PHB in medium containing glucose as carbon source, followed by 55.5% DCW PHB in lactose-containing medium, whereas Bacillus sp. 112A produced a maximum of 67.73% PHB from glucose, 58.5% PHB from sucrose, followed by 50.5% PHB from starch as carbon substrates. The viscosity average molecular mass (M (v)) of the polymers from Bacillus sp. 87I was 513 kDa and from Bacillus sp. 112A was 521 kDa. All the properties of the biopolymers produced by the two strains 87I and 112A were characterized.