Alcaligenes faecalis: A bacterium for sustainable management of environment

Abstract For successful management of pollution problems, the use of bacteria is now a popular and widespread technique. Alcaligenes faecalis , an inhabitant of the natural environment, is equipped with machinery for cleaning up different types of contaminants, including heavy metals and xenobiotics. A. faecalis , a gram‐negative, flagellated, nonfermentive, aerobic member of the subgroup proteobacteria, often shows anaerobic respiration using nitrate or nitrite as terminal electron acceptors. It is also gifted with the power of nitrogen fixation and thereby could be used as a biofertilizer. The bacterium also has the unique ability to act as a probiotic and can often be used as a biocontrol agent due to its antimicrobial properties. Hence, for sustainable management of the environment, various strains of this bacterium as active bio‐remediators, bio‐pesticides, biofertilizers, and probiotics are being increasingly applied.