Isolation and Characterization of a Thermostable Cellulase from Bacillus licheniformis Strain Vic Isolated from Geothermal Wells in the Kenyan Rift Valley

Table 1: Colony characteristics, gram stain, pH and temperature growth ranges and substrate utilization for growth (avicel and cellobiose).

Colony characteristics	Isolate 1	Isolate 2	Isolate 3	Isolate 4
Shape	Irregular	Irregular	Irregular	Irregular
Color	Cream white	Cream white	Cream white	Cream white
Elevation Surface	Raised Smooth	Raised Smooth	Raised Smooth	Raised Smooth
Margin	Lobate	Lobate	lobate	lobate
Gram stain Growth pH range	+ ve rod	+ ve rod	+ ve rod	+ ve rod
3,4 5,6 7,8,9 10,11,12 Growth temperature range	+ ++++ +++ ++	+ ++++ +++ ++	+ ++++ +++ ++	+ ++++ +++ ++
4 20 37 40,45,50 55 ≥ 60	- ++ +++ ++++ +++ -	- ++ +++ ++++ +++ -	- ++ +++ ++++ +++ -	- ++ +++ ++++ +++ -
Utilization of avicel	+	+	+	+
Utilization of cellobiose	+	+	+	+

KEY: + Less growth, ++ Moderate growth, +++ High growth, ++++ Very high growth, –No growth.