Isolation of a Marine Bacterium Capable of Biodegrading Poly(butylene succinate)

We developed a poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) indicator plate and isolated a marine bacterial colony capable of biodegrading PBS based on the appearance of a clear zone. Growth of the PBS-2 isolate was observed over 4 days of culture at 37°C in PBS-tryptone basal liquid medium, but not in PBS-deprived control medium. The PBS-2 isolate was named Paenibacillus sp. PBS-2 based on 16S rDNA gene sequencing. The PBS-biodegrading marine bacterium isolated in this study will contribute to the effective management of PBS waste problems in marine environments.