In situ microbial conversion of coal into methane gas is an environment friendly alternative to produce the clean energy source. In present study we analyzed the archaeal and bacterial community present in the formation water of an Indian coal bed at 600–700 m depth to understand their role in methanogenesis. Using both cultivation dependent and cultivation independent approach, we found that microbial community predominantly comprised of hydrogenotrophic methanogens and proteobacteria capable of nitrogen fixation, nitrate reduction and polyaromatic compound degradation. For enhancement of microbial biotransformation of coal into methane microcosm study was established. Microcosms contained formation water as a source of inoculums and coal as carbon source and were amended with different limiting nutrients/electron acceptors. It was observed that amount of methane was increased considerably by the addition of nitrite. Microorganisms like Methanobacterium, Chelatococcus, Rhizobium and Pseudomonas stutzeri were isolated and characterized from formation water. We had shown the ability of Chelatococcus to grow using coal components as sole source of carbon and energy. However, P. stutzeri could not grow with coal as carbon source; it could solubilize coal when grown in minimal medium containing yeast extract and mannitol. P. stutzeri produced copious amount of biosurfactant during late exponential to stationary phase when coal powder was mixed in yeast extract mannitol broth. It produced maximum biosurfactant with lignite coal followed by olive oil and soybean oil, which was able to emulsify several aromatic hydrocarbons. Also, a novel phosphodiesterase had been isolated and characterized from the coal bed metagenome. This study is first of its kind from India describing microbial communities of an Indian coal bed suggesting its capability for in situ biotransformation of coal into methane.

Molecular characterization of microbes and metagenome of an Indian coal bed for biotransformation of coal into methane and other valued products

249th National Meeting (2015)

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