Growth and Biochemical Activities of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Collected from Black Shale

Although much of the research work has been done on Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans in the rest of the world, unfortunately significant study has not been reported in Pakistan. The principal objective of the present investigations was to isolate and characterized the acidophilic sulphur oxidizing Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans from black shale and to grow the isolates on solid and liquid medium. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans were Gram-negative, motile, and rod-shaped bacteria. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans oxidized sulfur and reduced sulfur compounds to sulfuric acid through its metabolic activity. Different biochemical activities like starch hydolysis, gelatin hydrolysis, hydrogen sulphide production, catalyse reaction, urease test, indole production, methyl red test, voges proskaur, citrate utilization and triple sugar iron test of the isolates were performed.