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In a screening program for isolation of thermophilic lipase-producing bacteria, a number of thermophilic bacteria were isolated from desert soil from Baltim, Egypt. Among 55 isolates, a potent bacterial candidate (starin-5) was characterized and identified by biochemical and PCR techniques, based on 16S rRNA sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed its closeness to geobacilli especially the thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus with optimal growth and lipolytic enzyme activity at 60°C and pH 7.0. An inducible nature of lipolytic enzyme synthesis using glycerol and glucose was demonstrated. Approximately, 94-100% of the original activity was retained due to thermal stability of the crude enzyme after heat treatment for 15 min at 30-60°C. The enzyme retained 84.84% of its original activity during incubation at 70°C (pH 8.0) for 15 min. Lipase enzyme from G. stearothermophilus strain-5 was immobilized on various carriers and the most suitable carrier was chitin that showed 73.03% of activity yield.

OVAT (one variable at a time) approach was applied in this study to screen the most important physicochemical key determinants involved in the process of sheep wool biodegradation. The process was directed by a keratinase-producing Bacillus subtilis DB 100 (p5.2) recombinant strain. Data indicate that, sheep wool could be degraded efficiently in cultures incubated at 30°C, with initial pH of 7 with agitation at 150 rpm. Two times autoclaved alkali treated and undefatted chopped sheep wool is more accessible to biodegradation. B. subtilis recombinant cells could utilize sheep wool as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Sheep wool-based modified basal medium II, lacking NH₄Cl and yeast extract, could greatly support the growth of these bacterial cells. Sheep wool biodegradation was conducted efficiently in the absence of kanamycin consequently; high stability of the recombinant plasmid (p5.2) represents a great challenge upon scaling up this process. Three key determinants (sheep wool concentration, incubation time and inoculum size) imposing considerable constraints on the process are highlighted. Sheep wool-based tap water medium and sheep wool-based distilled water medium were formulated in this study. High levels of released end products, produced from sheep wool biodegradation are achieved upon using these two sheep wool-based water media. Data indicate that, sheep wool hydrolysate is rich in some amino acids, such as tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine, proline, isoleucine, leucine, valine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Moreover, the resulting sheep wool hydrolysate contains soluble proteins of high and intermediate molecular weights. The present study demonstrates a feasible, cheap, reproducible, efficient and rapid biotechnological approach towards utilization of raw sheep wool waste through a recombinant bacterium.

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