User:Cath.ubc.ca/sandbox

Function
The exopolysaccharides of some strains of lactic acid bacteria, e.g., Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, contribute a gelatinous texture to fermented milk products (e.g., Viili), and these polysaccharides are also digestible.

Capsular exopolysaccharides can protect pathogenic bacteria and contribute to their pathogenicity. Attachment of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to plant roots and soil particles, which is important for colonisation of rhizosphere and roots and for infection of the plant, can be mediated by exopolysaccharides as well. An example for industrial use of exopolysaccharides is the application of dextran in panettone and other breads in the bakery industry. Exopolysaccharides also have an important role in endodontic infections.

Edit- " Extracellular polymeric substance"
The proceeding section.

Function
The exopolysaccharides of some strains of lactic acid bacteria, e.g., Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, contribute a gelatinous texture to fermented milk products (e.g., Viili), and these polysaccharides are also digestible.[1]

Capsular exopolysaccharides can protect pathogenic bacteria and contribute to their pathogenicity.[ citation needed] Attachment of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to plant roots and soil particles, which is important for colonisation of rhizosphere and roots and for infection of the plant, can be mediated by exopolysaccharides as well.[ citation needed] An example for industrial use of exopolysaccharides is the application of dextran in panettone and other breads in the bakery industry.[2] Exopolysaccharides also have an important role in endodontic infections.

My edit starts here.

Novel Industrial Use
Due to the growing need to find a more efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional waste removal methods, industries are paying more attention to the function of bacteria and their EPSs in bioremediation.

Researchers found that adding EPSs from cyanobacteria to wastewaters removes heavy metals such as copper, cadmium and lead. EPSs alone can physically interact with these heavy metals and take them in through biosorption. The efficiency of removal can be optimized by treating the EPSs with different acids or bases first before adding them to the wastewaters.

Contaminated soils contain high levels of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); EPSs from two bacteria, Zoogloea sp. and  Aspergillus niger, are efficient at removing these toxic compounds. EPSs contain enzymes such as oxidoreductase and hydrolase, which are capable of  degrading PAHs. The amount of PAHs degradation depends on the concentration of EPSs added to the soil. This method proves to be low cost and highly efficient.

In recent years, EPSs from marine bacteria have been found to speed up the cleanup of oil spills. During the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, these EPS-producing bacteria were able to grow and multiply rapidly. It was later found that their EPSs dissolved the oil and formed oil aggregates on the ocean surface, which sped up the cleaning process. These oil aggregates also  provided a valuable source of nutrients for other marine microbial communities. This led scientists to modify and optimize the use of EPSs to clean up oil spills.

Cath.ubc.ca (talk) 05:08, 9 October 2017 (UTC) Cath.ubc.ca (talk) 23:47, 19 November 2017 (UTC)