Identifying Biocontaminants in Fuel

Fuel is a harsh environment for microbial growth. However, some bacteria can grow well due to their adaptive mechanisms. UDRI's Environmental Microbiology researchers identify and mitigate environmental microbiological contamination of aerospace fuel systems. We conduct antimicrobial discovery research towards mitigating microbial contamination of jet fuel and study bacterial biofilms, solvent resistance mechanisms such as efflux pumps, trace element acquisition mechanisms, quorum sensing, and two-component signal transduction systems.

Our Environmental Microbiology researchers offer microbiological analytical services. We conduct laboratory tests on environmental samples, petroleum, oil, and lubricant products for microbial contamination, employing techniques such as standard plate count methods, direct microscopy counts, and molecular biology tools such as qPCR and DNA sequencing to enumerate bacterial and fungal cells. In addition, we use fuel bioassays, molecular markers, and Gas Chromatography (GC) methods to study signature degradation profiles, and can characterize microbial community structures through meta-genomic and meta-transcriptomic analyses.

Capabilities

Our capabilities include the following:

• Identification of fuel microbes via traditional plating and advanced genetic techniques
• Development of  techniques for microbial detection using biosensors
• Detection of organisms responsible for biocorrosion of fuel systems
• Development and screening of new biocides produced via genetic engineering
• Microarray studies of the mechanisms for microbial growth in fuel systems
• Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic studies of fuel microorganisms

Contact us today and let UDRI identify and remediate your fuel challenges.

Contact Us: 937-229-2113  |  E-Mail  |  Form

Top: The Air Force Research Laboratory biological materials and processing research team collects fuel samples from a storage tank to analyze for potential biocontamination. (U.S. Air Force photo)