Pradnya A. Joshi, Namrata Singh and Dhiraj B. Shekhawat
Halophilic microorganisms live in saline environment and have the ability to produce biosurfactant. These organisms have particular adaptation to increase stability in adverse environment that can be used in various fields of biotechnology. In present research work, the biosurfactant producing halophiles were isolated from sea water sample from coastal areas nearby Mumbai. The effect of different metal ions on growth and biosurfactant production was studied. 15 different bacterial colonies were obtained, among them 8 isolates showed capacity to produce biosurfactant. J1 strain from Juhu exhibited highest emulsification activity and was identified as Halobacterium salinarum. Supplementation of metal ions in medium significantly affected the growth of the bacteria. The growth and biosurfactant production was found to be maximum with magnesium ion (5mM). The study suggests that metal ions enhances the growth of halobacteria as well as increase the biosurfactant production
