Survival Ability of New Rhodococcus Strains during Phenol Growth

Three strains, SL2, SL4-1, and SL4-2, were isolated from soil and assigned to the genus Rhodococcus. The strains can degrade toxic compounds: phenol and its chlorinated derivatives. It has been shown that the strains were sensitive to more than 25 antibiotics and could grow at a concentration of NaCl up to 120 g/L in the medium (strains SL4-1 and SL4-2). The viability of the cells during growth on phenol at different concentrations was investigated. The strain SL4-2 was able to grow in medium with phenol up to 1.5 g/L, while addition of phenol up to 2 g/L had a toxic effect on the cells. The isolates can be used as a basis for the development of biopreparations for environmental treatment of anthropogenic pollutants.