Figure 3

Schematic illustration of some of the interactions seen in a microbial consortium degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Different microbial cells are represented by shaded shapes surrounded by a dashed line. Elements of these interactions have been seen in several studies (see text for details). Further complexity can be built into this simple schematic if one considers multiple PAHs invoking several pathways in one or more microbes, as well as co-metabolic degradation.