Discovering Silent Friends: Microbial Potential of the Santa Catalina Lagoon with Bioprospecting for Bioremediation

Abstract

A preliminary study of the Santa Catalina lagoon microecosystem was conducted.
This lagoon, located on the southern bank of the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin within the grounds of the National University of Lomas de Zamora, is fundamental to the ecological balance.
Not only does it collect runoff water, but it also serves as a recharge point for underground aquifers, mitigating surrounding flooding.
This ecosystem is functional thanks to the biogeochemical processes carried out by native microbial activity in the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles.
It provides a resource for minimizing the effects of acid rain, which is caused by combustion and the release of volatile sulfur compounds.
Sludge and water samples collected from the lagoon were processed using a Winogradsky column, which allowed researchers to replicate the lagoon's natural habitat. Over the course of 60 days, the growth sequence of four metabolically distinct but interrelated microbial types in the sulfur cycle food web was observed: photoautotrophs, photoheterotrophs, chemolithoautotrophs, and chemoorganoheterotrophs. These results revealed a rich microbiota that offers an interesting microbiome for bioremediation studies. This encourages strengthening the protection measures for the Santa Catalina Lagoon as a natural genetic resource.