According to Taiwan’s “China Times†report, Taiwan began drying salt as early as the Ming Dynasty and had more than three hundred years of salt production history. However, after the salt spray was completely stopped in 2002, only a few left. In the tour of Yantian, the research team of the University of Taiwan conducted a survey before the disappearance of Yantian and discovered three new species of microorganisms that were internationally recognized. Due to its extremely salt-tolerant properties, it has significant research and development potential in the water-retaining, moisturizing beauty industry, as well as biomass energy and industrial waste disposal.
According to the report, the team of the Taiwan University Biodiversity Center explored the coastal areas of Tainan and succeeded in isolating three new species. It was recently accepted by the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology and named as Bacillus subtilis. , North Gate single bacteria, and the four sea marine bacillus.
Xu Yuantai, director of the Center for Biodiversity, said that in the Tainan region, as early as the Ming Dynasty, salt began to dry, and Yantian, a coastal area, said that there were three hundred years of history, and organisms constantly mutated in such a special environment, giving birth to unique species in Taiwan. If these species are not discovered and preserved immediately, the salt fields will gradually become deserted and the salt water concentration will gradually decrease. The original extremely salt-tolerant microorganisms may be unable to adapt to the new environment and step out on the road to extinction.
Experiments have found that all three bacteria can survive in salt water with a concentration of more than 30% (saturated salt water is 36%) and have excellent salt tolerance. When used on beauty products, they can effectively retain water and keep moisture, ensuring moisture is not Being sucked away, facial skin is no longer dry; used in the medical field, because of the ability of salt-tolerant bacteria to resist high salt environment and high osmotic pressure, it can be used as an excellent research material for ion exchange and permeability regulation of cells.
In addition, industrial waste is often high salinity. It must be desalted and washed before it can be further decomposed. The process is time-consuming, energy-consuming, and there is a risk of bacterial contamination in the process, adding processing costs. If salt-tolerant strains can be used, the procedures of desalting and washing of salt can be eliminated and economic efficiency can be greatly increased.
Xu Yuantai said that these types of salt-tolerant strains are also now on the side of biomass energy. At present, research using more food crops such as corn and soybeans as raw materials may reduce food pollution but may cause food crisis. The salt-tolerant microorganisms have enzymes that decompose cellulose. Generally, plants can also be decomposed. They need not be food crops. Common trees and grasses can also be used as raw materials to find a way out for the future of biomass energy. (Jiao Yingying)