Dangers of petroleum-lysing bacteria to the environment?
I’m having trouble finding any information regarding this question. Any help/explanation would be greatly appreciated.
Petroleum-lysing bacteria are being engineered for the treatment of oil spills. What is the most realistic danger of these bacteria to the environment?
A. mutations leading to the production of a strain pathogenic to humans
B. extinction of natural microbes due to the competitive advantage of the “petro-bacterium”
C. destruction of natural oil deposits
D. poisoning of the food chain
E. contamination of the water
All of the possibilities are highly unlikely. Petroleum degrading bacteria, protozoa, etc. already exist. They can be found at natural oil seeps happily degrading/eating petroleum, petroleum constituent components, and breakdown chemicals. These creatures clean up the environment and can attack oil spills especially in the tropics. Eventually the water and air petroleum pollution is remediated. (although it will take a much longer time in colder climates). Petroleum using bugs have been around for well more than a billion years, and other organisms have evolved to cope with them. It is more likely that the old boys will drive the genetiacally modified strains to extinction, than vice versa.
These micro-organisms do not attack petroleum deposits in situ., unless the deposit springs a leak and starts migrationg into the environment. So non-leaking deposits are safe. (for example salt domes, that are naturally capped off).The beasts are highly adapted to petroleum metabolism and it is very uinlikely that they would evolve to become animal disease causing organisms. The latter beasts have hundreds of mutations in order top be able to invade living cells, evade our immune system, and to metabolize natural cell chemicals. Even if such pathogenic mutations could be induced into a petrolium eating organism, they most probably could not compete well with natural pathogens. Any genetically modified organism quickly loses out to the regular gang because they are inefficient because of their newly acquired genetically engineered abilities which make them less efficient, (due to their extra energy using activities to make the “new” protein) . ( micro-organisms work at the limit of energy efficiency, and have little energy left over to use for non essential chemicals that man wants them to make.) Genes for new chemical energy sources is a different matter, in that no other organism is exploiting the new chemical. (hence a lack of previous competition & a novel food source).
Doc. Dan.
Natural Science Commercial: Coastal Runoff