Takara Bio Inc. has analyzed a whole genome of a petroleum-producing bacterium, Pseudomonas anaerooleophila strain HD-1, in cooperation with Professor Imanaka of Kyoto University. Dragon Genomics, a subsidiary wholly owned by Takara Bio, took charge of the genome sequencing.

The microorganism was found by Professor Imanaka in 1993. Later, he found it could generate aliphatic hydrocarbon from carbon dioxide and hydrogen under anaerobic conditions. Takara Bio expects that a genome database of the bacterium possibly facilitates progress in researches on reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide and solution to global energy needs. Combination of the aliphatic hydrocarbon-producing and hydrogen-producing microorganisms could be useful to develop an efficient CO₂ fixation system. So, the Group has a plan to sequence a whole genome of a hydrogen-producing microorganism.

The strain HD-1 can produce aliphatic hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide and hydrogen under anaerobic condition. However, the bacterium itself cannot be used for industrial production of petroleum due to its poor growth under the conditions. Takara Bio considers that the genome information will be useful to develop a newly organized, efficient system for the production.

The genome of strain HD-1 is about 4.55 mega base pairs in size and has 5451 open reading frames. Takara Bio will perform several lines of research to analyze a metabolic pathway of the aliphatic hydrocarbon synthesis and also accept a proposal of collaboration.

This article is translated from news in Japanese for your convenience.