Objective: The present study is conducted to investigate the abilities of microorganisms to degrade heavy metals in industrial tannery effluent sample.Methods: Tannery effluent sample was collected from effluent treatment plant and analyzed for physicochemical parameters. The potential microbes were isolated and identified by morphological and biochemical characterization. The sample was analyzed before and after to assess the heavy metal reducing the ability of the microorganism and the respective percentage of reduction were studied using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Results:The samples were initially found to be highly contaminated with chromium, nickel, and cadmium. Out of three potential isolates, the isolate Streptomyces sp. was found to exhibit a better reduction against chromium (25.7%), cadmium (14.6%), and nickel (23.1%) in 50 ppm at longer incubation period. Comparatively, the reduction abilities of all the three isolates against all the three heavy metals increased with the increase in the incubation period but decreased with the increase in initial metal ion concentration except in the case of Streptomyces sp. against nickel where the reducing ability increased with the increase in metal concentration. Conclusion:Apparently, the present study revealed that Streptomyces sp. had a better remediation potential than the indigenous Pseudomonas sp. and Aspergillus sp. Ultimately, the finding of this research has shown that the Streptomyces sp. can be used as a potent bioremediation agent for treating tannery and industrial effluent in an eco-friendly process.

Resistance to antimicrobial substances by pathogenic microorganisms is on the rise since the beginning of modern medicine. Mechanisms; enzymatic degradation, loss of target and antimicrobial interception are employed by bacteria in resisting antimicrobials. Bacterial capsule is a gelatinous outer layer surrounding a bacterial cell composed primarily of polysaccharide. This study assessed the role that the capsule of Pseudomonas aeruginosa played in carbapenem resistance. P. aeruginosa was isolated from 49 (16%) samples out of 300 samples screened. India ink staining technique was used to detect the capsule. Capsule was detected in 42 (86%) of the isolates whereas 7 (14%) of the isolates were non-capsulated. All the capsulated strains were resistant to the antibiotics (Meropenem, Doripenem and Imipenem) whereas the non-capsulated strains were susceptible to the antibiotics. The results of this study however suggest the involvement of capsule in the resistance of the antibiotics employed.

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