Microbes are famous source of industrially important enzymes which can easily be modified by biotechnological methods. Proteases are group of commercially important enzymes which can cleave proteins into smaller fragments. This enzymes are widely used at an industrial scale for processing of various foods, cheese production, in leather industry etc. Proteases also serve as signalling molecules. Soil is a rich and biodiverse source of a huge number of microorganisms. The present study is based on the characterization of the protease producing bacteria from the soil present outside and adjacent areas of a sweetshop in Burdwan. Screening of the bacteria was done by employing skim milk agar plating technique at 37°C and observed after 24 hours. Proteolytic activity of the crude protease extract from the bacteria was detected by using azocasein as substrate. Two bacteria was initially screened; one was giving white colony and the other was giving yellow colony. White colony bacteria showed to give higher activity. The optimum pH for the protease activity was found to be 8. 5 for both bacteriabut the optimum temperature was 37°C for yellow and 60°C for white. Bacteria isolated were coccus shaped and Gram-positive in nature. The isolated white bacteria was identified by 16s rDNA sequencing as Staphylococcus species.

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