A range of bacteria can grow on sulfoquinovose or its glycosides as sole carbon source. E. coli can grow on sulfoquinovose, methyl α-sulfoquinovoside and α-sulfoquinovosyl glycerol. Growth on sulfoquinovosyl glycerol is both faster and leads to higher cell density than for growth on sulfoquinovose. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain SQ1, Klebsiella sp. strain ABR11, Klebsiella oxytoca TauN1, Agrobacterium sp. strain ABR2, and Bacillus aryabhattai can grow on sulfoquinovose as sole carbon source. A strain of Flavobacterium was identified that could grow on methyl α-sulfoquinovoside.