Greasella

Greasella is a fictional genus of bacteria introduced in microbiology educational materials to illustrate lipid-rich environments and biofilm formation.

In the hypothetical taxonomy, Greasella is placed within the class Gammaproteobacteria, order Pseudomonadales, and family Greasellaceae (a placeholder). The name combines grease with -ella, following common genus-naming conventions.

Morphology and physiology: Greasella is described as Gram-negative, rod-shaped, and motile by polar flagella; typical cell dimensions are around 0.8–1.5 μm by 1.5–3 μm. It is portrayed as oxidase-positive with aerobic respiration and possessing lipase and esterase enzymes that enable triglyceride breakdown.

Ecology: It is depicted as being isolated from artificially maintained grease trap microcosms, kitchen drains, and industrial lubricants. Greasella is said to form biofilms and to grow best in environments with elevated oil concentrations and temperatures around 25–35 C, with tolerances to moderate salinity.

Significance: In educational contexts, Greasella is used to discuss topics such as bioremediation of lipid-rich waste, biosurfactant production, and contamination control in food processing facilities. It serves as a model example to illustrate how microbes interact with oily substrates and form resilient biofilms.

See also: Biofilm, Lipase-producing bacteria.

References: This is a fictional genus created for illustrative purposes; no real-world references are associated with Greasella.