Abstract:
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a biodegradable polymer substitute for synthetic
plastics accumulated naturally in bacteria as a reserve of carbon and intracellular energy
under unbalanced environmental conditions.This study aimed to characterize two
isolates of PHA-producing bacteria from peat soils in Riau Province. Morphological
characterization was carried out by growing isolates on Nutrient Agar (NA) medium
and incubated at room temperature for 24 hours. In addition, physiological
characterization was carried out by growing isolates on Luria Bertani (LB) medium and
incubated for 24 hours. Both isolates generated colonies with a circular shape, moderate
size, curled edges, flat elevation, and creamy white pigmentation. Observations of
bacterial cells showed a bacillus-shaped Gram-negative with 2.8-3.0 μm and 1.8-3.76
μm in length and 1.1-1.20 μm and 1.0-1 μm.21 in width, respectively. Physiological
characters showed that both isolates are able to grow at room temperature, salt content
ranges from 1%-3%, and pH 5-7.
