CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ISOLATES OBTAINED FROM THE SOILS AND SEDIMENTS OF THE DRIED ARAL SEA BED

A study was conducted on microorganisms found in the soil and substrate of the dried Aral Sea bed. Using the MALDI-TOF method, Halomonas pacifica, Bacillus licheniformis, Actinomyces oris, Streptomyces rochei, Bacillus subtilis, and Micrococcus luteus were identified. Among these, Bacillus subtilis stood out due to its enzymatic activity; consequently, the isolate identified as Bacillus subtilis via MALDI-TOF was further verified using molecular-genetic methods to confirm its identity. To definitively establish the taxonomic species of the Bacillus subtilis strain, an analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence was performed.