Isolation and Characterization of a Strain of Bacillus megaterium That Degrades Poly(vinyl alcohol)

Abstract

A poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-degrading mixed culture that consisted of sereval microorganisms was obtained from activated sludge from a textile factory. From the culture, a component bacterial straini, BX1, that degraded PVA was isolated, and was identified as Bacillus megaterium. This strain could degrade PVA only in the cocultivation with a bacterial strain, PN19, that was isolated from the same mixed culture.