Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely-distributed contaminants that produce hazardous effects on human health, thus development of efficient PAH-removal methods is a worldwide concern. In PAHs-contaminated sites oxygen is rapidly consumed, rendering microorganisms able to use these compounds as a carbon source in the absence of molecular oxygen crucial for PAHs-bioremediation. This project aims at elucidating the mechanisms for the anaerobic degradation of phenanthrene by a novel sulfate-reducing enrichment culture obtained from a natural asphalt lake in order to provide essential information for the development of bioaugmentation methods; the creation of innovative biotechnological tools like engineered enzymes for PAHs-degradation; and the identification of genetic markers for monitoring bioremediation.