Question: what are the beneficial effects of genetically engineered bacteria for cleaning oil spills?
Answer: Bacteria can be used to protect the environment by helping us to move away from using hydrocarbons as fuel. The bacterium can produce non-toxic, comparatively cheap 'rhamnolipids', which help degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – pollutants that are one of the most harmful aspects of oil spills.