The hydrocarbon-degrading strain Dietzia sp. A14101 was isolated from an oil reservoir model column inoculated with oil-field bacteria. The column was continuously injected with nitrate (0.5 mM) from the start of water flooding, which lead to a gradual development of nitrate reduction in the column. Strain A14101 was able to utilize a range of aliphatic hydrocarbons as sole carbon and energy source during aerobic growth. Whole oil gas chromatography analysis of the crude oil phase from aerobic pure cultures showed that strain A14101 utilized the near complete range of aliphatic components and aromatic components toluene and xylene. Longer n-alkanes >/=C(17) were utilized simultaneously with the shorter C(10) and C(15). After 120 days aerobic incubation, the whole oil gas chromatography profile of the crude oil phase was similar to that of heavily biodegraded oils. Anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbons with nitrate was not observed. Nitrate reduction was, however, observed during anaerobic growth on propionate, which suggests that strain A14101 grows on fatty acids in the column rather than on hydrocarbons.

I would like to express my profound gratitude to my supervisors Tanja Barth, Sylvi Høiland and Per Fotland for your guidance, helpfulness, inspiration and encouragement throughout my PhD project. Your support, as well as your care for my well-being, have been invaluable to me. The Research Council of Norway and StatoilHydro ASA are thanked for funding the project. It has been very educational and interesting for me to be part of the HYPERION project, and I want to thank all the participants for the collaboration. I also want to express my thankfulness to Stefanie Pötz, Heinz Wilkes and Brian Horsfield for kindly welcoming me to a stay at GFZ. I wish to thank all my fellow students, colleagues and friends. A special thank goes to Espen N. Vaular and Monica Jordheim who have been my companions throughout all my years of studies, and to Anna E. Borgund who I have been working closely together with, and who has been an invaluable discussion partner and friend. You have all been making my years at University of Bergen such a memorable and unforgettable time. Many people at the Department of Chemistry have lent a helping hand to my project one way or another, something I am truly grateful for. I especially want to thank Terje Lygre for assistance with instruments. Siv Elin and Torunn; I could not ask for any better and more faithful friends than you. My family has been essential to me during these years. I especially want to thank my parents for all support and care. My dear Steve has been an endless source of encouragement; thank you for being my rock in tough times, for constantly having faith in me and for your love. Finally to my two children Kjetil and Christian; you are always there for me, and I am so proud of you. You both mean the world to me.

This data article provides:An overview of tentatively identified long chain compounds in Dietzia sp. A14101 grown on simple and complex hydrocarbons;Preliminary Identification of pigments in bacterial material obtained from incubation with a hydrocarbon (dodecane, n-C12) as the only carbon and energy source;Some pictures to illustrate the cell surface charge test.

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