Screening, production and characterization of extracellular microbial surfactants

This thesis focuses on the screening for, and the isolation of biosurfactant producing strains as well as production, purification and structural elucidation of compounds produced with the aim to find yet unrevealed microbial surfactants. Chapter 1 introduces surfactants and in particular biosurfactants, chapter 2 examines surfactants derived from the class Actinobacteria and chapter 3 addresses the isolation and characterization of surfactant producing prokaryotes from two ecological niches.