Method for Improving Phytoremediation Treatment of a Contaminated Medium
First Claim
1. A method for the phytoremediation treatment of a medium contaminated with an organic pollutant, the method comprising selecting an endophytic microorganism containing degradation genes for the organic pollutant;
- cultivating upon the contaminated medium a plant associated with an endophytic microorganism able to improve the phytoremediation of the organic pollutant by the plant.
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Abstract
The invention concerns a method for the phytoremediation treatment of a medium contaminated with at least one element selected from the group consisting of (preferably water soluble and volatile) organic pollutants, heavy metals, radionuclides or a mixture thereof, comprising the step of cultivating upon the contaminated medium a plant associated with an endophytic microorganism able to improve the phytoremediation of the plant, to reduce phytotoxicity of chemicals. The invention further relates to methods for improving phytoremediation by directly modifying members of the endogenous endophytic community of a plant, via horizontal gene transfer. Another part of the invention relates to plants associated with such endophytes and/or plants with a modified endogenous endophytic community.
10 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for the phytoremediation treatment of a medium contaminated with an organic pollutant, the method comprising
selecting an endophytic microorganism containing degradation genes for the organic pollutant; cultivating upon the contaminated medium a plant associated with an endophytic microorganism able to improve the phytoremediation of the organic pollutant by the plant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A plant comprising in its vascular and/or root system a genetically modified endophytic microorganism able to express proteins allowing the degradation of the organic pollutant in planta.
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22. A method for adapting the metabolic capabilities of a plant'"'"'s endogenous endophytic population for phytoremediation of an organic pollutant, the method comprising
equipping a donor strain with broad-host-range plasmid having degradation genes for an organic pollutant; - and
contacting the plant with the donor strain containing the plasmid for transfer of the degradation genes within the endogenous endophytic community of the plant; and
applying selection pressure to the plant in favor of transferring the degradation genes;
wherein the metabolic capabilities of the a plant'"'"'s endogenous endophytic population is adapted for phytoremediation of the organic pollutant. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A plant comprising in its endogenous endophytic community at least one endophytic species that has received, via horizontal gene transfer, degradation genes for an organic pollutant from an endophytic micro-organism with which the plant was associated.
Specification