Metagenomic analysis of a thermophilic bacterial consortium and its use in the bioremediation of a petroleum-contaminated soil

Biodegradation is difficult at high temperatures due to the limited capacity of microorganisms to survive and function outside their optimum temperature range. Here, a thermophilic petroleum-degrading consortium was enriched from compost at a temperature of 55 °C. 16S rDNA and metagenomic techniques were used to analyze the composition of the consortium and the mechanisms of degradation. The consortium degraded 17000 mg total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) L