Oil spills are among the most devastating disasters brought about by humans that can appear on the surface of the planet, as evidenced by the catastrophic wreak of the Exxon Valdez carrier, which affected thousands of square miles, and killed an impressive number of marine animals and birds. Decades after the accident, the effects are still felt, and portions of the ocean are still covered in oily residues. But what if a microbe or bacteria could eat all those remains? Researchers in China announce that they've found a microorganism that lives by gorging itself with oil residues, and that it may be used for clean-up.

The hydrocarbon-digesting microbe is detailed by the Chinese team in the latest issue of the International Journal of Environment and Pollution. The study was conducted by Beijing Normal University College of Water Sciences experts Hong-Qi Wang and Yan-Jun Chen, working together with Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection representative Bo-Ya Qin. Working at the Daqing oil field, in the northeastern parts of the country, the team identified the bacterium Bacillus cereus DQ01, which has evolved the ability to feed on the hydrocarbon n-hexadecane over the years.

Back at their lab, the experts analyzed the activity of enzymes found in the biofilms the bacterium created for itself, in hopes of being able to come up with new ways of creating better bioremediation techniques for oil spills. Generally, if researchers want to create microorganisms able to feed on hydrocarbons, they have to go through a lengthy process. First, bacteria are added in a culture with sugar and a little bit of oil. After the bacteria multiply, and new generations start forming, the amount of sugar in their food is reduced until the organisms develop a natural tendency to eat the oil.

After sufficient amounts of the bacteria have been cultivated, they are thrown in the ocean, in large, but controlled, amounts, where they start feeding and multiplying. Regularly, the byproducts are nothing but carbon dioxide and water, but some minerals may also form. However, experts needed to figure out the specific actions that each of the enzymes the bacteria secreted performed. With the contribution that the Chinese researchers brought, it may now be possible to begin work on the world's most effective bacterial cleanup agent.