Endophytic bacteria have been found in virtually every plant studied, where they colonize the internal tissues of their host plant and can form a range of different relationships including symbiotic, mutualistic, commensalistic and trophobiotic. Most endophytes appear to originate from the rhizosphere or phyllosphere; however, some may be transmitted through the seed. Endophytic bacteria can promote plant growth and yield and can act as biocontrol agents. Endophytes can also be beneficial to their host by producing a range of natural products that could be harnessed for potential use in medicine, agriculture or industry. In addition, it has been shown that they have the potential to remove soil contaminants by enhancing phytoremediation and may play a role in soil fertility through phosphate solubilization and nitrogen fixation. There is increasing interest in developing the potential biotechnological applications of endophytes for improving phytoremediation and the sustainable production of nonfood crops for biomass and biofuel production.

The use of plant growth promoting bacterial inoculants as live microbial biofertilisers provides a promising alternative to chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Inorganic phosphate solubilisation is one of the major mechanisms of plant growth promotion by plant associated bacteria. This involves bacteria releasing organic acids into the soil which solubilise the phosphate complexes converting them into ortho-phosphate which is available for plant up-take and utilisation. The study presented here describes the ability of endophytic bacterial isolates to produce gluconic acid, solubilise insoluble phosphate and stimulate the growth of Pea plants (Pisum sativum). This study also describes the genetic systems within three of these endophyte isolates thought to be responsible for their effective phosphate solubilising abilities. The results showed that many of the endophytic isolates produced gluconic acid (14-169 mM) and have moderate to high phosphate solubilisation capacities (~ 400-1300 mg L-1). When inoculated to Pea plants grown in sand/soil under soluble phosphate limiting conditions, the endophyte isolates that produced medium to high levels of gluconic acid also displayed enhanced plant growth promotion effects.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is a selective systemic herbicide for the control of broad-leaved weeds, which is widely used throughout the world. Th

With the exception of nitrogen fixing bacteria, there is little known about the colonisation patterns or population sizes of bacterial endophytes in deciduous trees. This study describes the isolation, identification, construction and re-colonisation patterns of three green fluorescent protein(gfp):kanamycin(R) labelled bacterial endophytes when re-introduced into poplar trees, their original host plant. Two of these endophytes showed considerable colonisation in the roots and stems of inoculated plants. gfp expressing cells of all three strains were observed to colonise the xylem tissue of the root. All three strains proved to be efficient rhizosphere colonisers, supporting the theory that the rhizosphere can serve as a source of bacterial endophytes.

Chromium contamination of drinking water has become a global problem due to its extensive use in industry. The most commonly used methods for chromium detection in water are laboratory-based methods, such as atomic absorption spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy. Although these methods are highly selective and sensitive, they require expensive maintenance and highly trained staff. Therefore, there is a growing demand for cost effective and portable detection methods that would meet the demand for mass monitoring. Microfluidic detection systems based on optical detection have great potential for onsite monitoring applications. Furthermore, their small size enables rapid sample throughput and minimises both reagent consumption and waste generation. In contrast to standard laboratory methods, there is also no requirement for sample transport and storage. The aim of this study is to optimise a colorimetric method based on 1,5-diphenylcarbazide dye for incorporation into a microfluidic detection system. Rapid colour development was observed after the addition of the dye and samples were measured at 543 nm. Beer’s law was obeyed in the range between 0.03–3 mg·L⁻¹. The detection limit and quantitation limit were found to be 0.023 and 0.076 mg·L⁻¹, respectively.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are major and recalcitrant pollutants of the environment and their removal presents a significant problem. Phytoremed