The Premier Explorer of Venice, Louisiana stands by near a controlled burn of spilled oil off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico, in this handout photograph taken June 9, 2010 and released on June 11. [Xinhua/Reuters]

Chinese and U.S. researchers have discovered a new strain of bacteria that can help cleanup of the massive Gulf Coast oil spill, it was announced on Friday.

The bacteria can produce non-toxic, comparatively inexpensive " rhamnolipids," and effectively help degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs -- environmental pollutants that are one of the most harmful aspects of oil spills, the Oregon State University(OSU) said in a news release.

Because of its unique characteristics, this new bacterial strain could be of considerable value in the long-term cleanup of the massive Gulf Coast oil spill, said the release.

The discovery was made by researchers from OSU and two collaborating universities in China -- the Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology and Nanjing Agricultural University. The OSU is filing for a patent on the discovery.

"PAHs are a widespread group of toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds, but also one of the biggest concerns about oil spills," said Xihou Yin, a research assistant professor in the OSU College of Pharmacy.

"Some of the most toxic aspects of oil to fish, wildlife and humans are from PAHs," Yin said. "They can cause cancer, suppress immune system function, cause reproductive problems, nervous system effects and other health issues. This particular strain of bacteria appears to break up and degrade PAHs better than other approaches we have available."