In vitro and In silico analysis of heavy metal-resistant bacteria from cooum river for bioremediation approaches

Abstract

The world is facing a significant deficit in the quality and quantity of freshwater as a result of the contamination of rivers. Heavy metals are the most common pollutants in water bodies. In this study, the new discovery of bacterial strains from the Cooum river sample can be used to remove heavy metals and radioactive compounds from water sources through heavy metal bioremediation. The bacterial strains from the Cooum sample were isolated and identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and nucleotide BLAST analysis. Considering copper and lead as toxic metals, metal tolerance, Maximum Tolerance concentration (MTC), and antibiotic susceptibility tests were examined. Identification of genes associated with metal resistant mechanism and comparative analysis using In Silico studies. The results presented in this study support the concept that the two bacterial strains namely Ralstonia pickettii and Pseudomonas otitidis have significant bioremediation potential. In addition, a positive correlation has been found between metals and antibiotic resistance in the bacterial strains and the proteins and genes involved in the resistance of heavy metals were identified. This novel study paves a new way to remove toxic substances and heavy metals contaminated in water bodies. It leads researchers to identify genes that help to magnify the possibilities for microbial bioremediation.