RESUMO
Acrylamide is an aliphatic amide, which is produced by industrial processes and during heating of food. It is neurotoxic and a suspected carcinogen. In the present study an attempt was made to isolate acrylamide degrading bacteria from soil. The optimum growth conditions and physiological characteristics for the isolated acrylamide degrading bacteria were investigated. The isolated bacterium was identified as Bacillus clausii strain 1779 based on full 16S rRNA molecular phylogeny. The bacteria can degrade 800 mg l-1 acrylamide after eight days of incubation with concomitant cell growth. In addition to above, it also grows optimally at a concentration of acrylamide between 500-2000 mg l-1 between pH 8-10 and temperature and 25 – 45 0C. Thus the isolate would be useful in the bioremediation of environment from acrylamide in alkali conditions.