Isolation, Characterization, and Identification of Cellulolytic Bacteria Colony from Forest and Landfill Environments in Iligan City, Philippines

The global proliferation of landfills represents a significant environmental challenge, as the generation and accumulation of solid waste continue to increase at an accelerating rate each year. This study aimed to isolate and characterize cellulose-degrading bacteria from forests in Barangay Suarez and landfills in Barangay Bonbonon and Barangay Santiago, Iligan City. Soil samples were randomly collected, and bacterial isolation was performed through serial dilution and spread plating on nutrient agar supplemented with nystatin as an antifungal agent. Pure cultures of the isolated colonies were obtained by streak plating and screened for cellulose-degrading activity using cellulose agar. These isolates were then subjected to morphological and biochemical tests for characterization and identification. Results showed that 18.42% of bacterial isolates tested positive for cellulolytic activity. Based on the observed characteristics, five isolates were identified as Bacillus, four as Pseudomonas, two as Cellulomonas, and three as Arthrobacter. Cellulolytic degrading bacteria provide valuable information for future technological applications, particularly in utilizing biomass waste. A 16S rRNA test for the bacterial isolates is highly recommended, as it provides more detailed and precise characterization and identification of the strain at the species level. Keywords: biomass utilization, cellulolytic bacteria, cellulose-degrading, forest environment, landfill environment