Abstract |
The research concentrated on efforts to isolate pure cultures which would use both cellulose and hydrocarbons. From more than 70 different inocula of soil, compost, sewage sludge and forest litter, 367 pure cultures were isolated on n-hexadecane media; 28 of these were found to be capable of attacking sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and lowering its viscosoty. Only one proved to be capable of attacking purified cellulose, ball-milled newspaper, or newsprint. This culture is a fungus which grows well up to 45C, identified as Aspergillus fumigatus. More than 300 enrichment cultures were also developed on cellulosic substrates (purified cellulose, ball-milled newsprint, without ink, or ball-milled newspaper) from similar inocula. (Modified author abstract) |