# Construction of a Synthetic Aniline-Degrading Consortium Consisting of Pseudomonas sp. RF and Acidovorax sp. PH Guided by Soil Niche Information from Contaminated Sites

## TL;DR

This study creates a synthetic microbial consortium to efficiently degrade aniline in contaminated soil using ecological niche information.

## Contribution

A novel synthetic microbial consortium (RF-PH) with enhanced aniline degradation efficiency is developed using niche-guided strain selection.

## Key findings

- Pseudomonas sp. RF completely degraded 1000 mg·L−1 aniline within 24 h in monoculture.
- The RF-PH consortium degraded 500 mg·L−1 aniline 11.33–17.02% faster than individual strains within 12 h.
- Ecological niche data from contaminated soil guided the selection and construction of the synthetic consortium.

## Abstract

The development of effective remediation strategies for aniline-contaminated sites has become a significant research focus in environmental science. This study aimed to construct a highly efficient aniline-degrading synthetic microbial consortium guided by ecological niche information from contaminated soil. Microbial community analysis of aniline-contaminated soil from a typical industrial park revealed the significant enrichment and adaptability of Proteobacteria and its genus Pseudomonas in the polluted environment. Based on these ecological niche characteristics, a targeted screening strategy was employed to isolate two highly efficient degrading strains from heavily contaminated soil: Pseudomonas sp. RF and Acidovorax sp. PH. Both strains exhibited excellent aniline degradation performance in monoculture, with strain RF capable of completely degrading 1000 mg·L−1 aniline within 24 h. Through orthogonal experiments to optimize the inoculation ratio, a synthetic consortium, RF-PH, composed of the two strains at a 3:1 ratio, was constructed. This consortium demonstrated significant synergistic effects, with degradation efficiency markedly surpassing that of the individual strains. Specifically, its degradation rate for 500 mg·L−1 aniline within 12 h was 11.33–17.02% higher than that of the individual strains. This study confirms the effectiveness of a targeted screening and synthetic consortium construction strategy based on ecological niche information, providing efficient microbial resources and technical support for the bioremediation of aniline-contaminated sites.