Oil eating bacteria (scientific name, pseudomonas putida) is an aerobic bacteria.The generic name Pseudomonas created for for organisms like oil-eating bacteria was defined as a group of Gram-negative, rod-shaped and polar-flagella bacteria.

Pseudomonas putida, or oil eating bacteria, is a gram stain negative bacteria. A gram stain is a technique used often by microbiologists to aid in the process of the identification and characterization of bacteria. Upon the completion of a gram stain, one must observe the slide under a microscope. Depending on the color of the slide, the bacteria is either gram positive or negative. In the case of the pseudomonas putida, the color turned to a light pink color. This represents a gram negative result.

Pseudomonas putidais is a rod shaped bacteria.

As you might have guessed by now, oil eating bacteria thrives in or around oil. However, when this bacteria is not found around oil, it is most commonly found in soil and other moist areas. Just like many other bacteria, this bacteria will live wherever there is a source of food. This means that oil eating bacteria is capable of surviving without oil. Pseudomonas putida is able to survive on many different organic substrates.

Oil-eating bacteria feed on harmful chemicals found in oil and soil, such as degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons by bacteria and toluene.

The pseudomonas putidais is a non-spore forming bacteria.

Pseudomonas putida is a bacteria that was discovered fairly recently. 1991 is the earliest report of this bacteria. In 1992, French scientists found a bacteria that fed specifically on oil. This was the first report of any type of oil eating microbes. Later, in 2001, Elf Aquitaine researchers found this bacteria. They used it as a more efficient way to decontaminate landfills. This was the first large experiment recorded using pseudomonas putida. The experiment lasted a year ad went of without a hitch. The experiment was very successful. Then in 2002, a small group of scientist from The United States Department of Energy discovered a very similar bacteria that removes pollutants from coal. This bacteria was used to produce a cleaner burning coal.

Pseudomonas putida is an extremely beneficial bacteria. As expected, this bacteria is used primarily to clean oil spills that could be potentially dangerous to humans and other animals. This bacteria is relied on by some to break down toxic materials into carbon dioxide. Various parts of the agricultural industry rely on this bacteria to break down harmfil chemicals that live in the soil.

Fortunately, there would not be any severe problems without pseudomonas putida. Of course, since this bacteria is often relied on, alternate bacteria would have to be discovered. And of course, without oil eating bacteria, there will be very few efficient ways to clean oil spills and/or break down at oil.

The man that discovered bioremediation, George M. Robinson, who was the assistant county petroleum engineer for Santa Maria, California, spent his spare time experimenting with dirty jars and various mixes of microbes.