title: A rapid screening method for bacteria degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A rapid procedure was developed to screen for bacteria that are able to grow on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A drop of ethyl ether-dissolved PAH is spread on a sterilized cellulose acetate/nitrate filter lying on the top of a mineral salts agarose plate. After the evaporation of ethyl ether, a serially diluted sample is spread over the filter and incubated. Subsequently, the PAH degrading bacteria can be counted and isolated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This procedure is a simple method for screening bacterial isolates for the ability to grow with PAHs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This technique is rapid to screen and/or count PAH-degrading bacteria and is also used to streak cultivation without disrupting the PAH layer on plate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Joint Laboratory on Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons