Phys.org May 8, 2023
Researchers in Germany purified water containing uranium using a special kind of bacteria known as magnetotactic bacteria which can accumulate dissolved heavy metal in their cell walls. The bacteria form nanoscopic magnetic crystals within the cell which are arranged like a row of beads. Each individual magnetic crystal is embedded in a protective membrane. The crystals and membrane form the magnetosome which the bacteria use to align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field and orientate themselves in their habitat. It also makes them suitable for simple separation processes. The cell walls of magnetotactic bacteria are surrounded by an external membrane composed of sugars and fat-like components: potential docking sites for uranium. The bacteria can survive at neutral pH values, even in aqueous solutions containing higher concentrations of uranium. Over a wide pH range, they bind the uranium almost exclusively in their cell walls. Their experiments are geared towards potential industrial applications in the field of microbiological remediation of water, especially when it is contaminated with heavy metals of the type found in mine drainage water in the old uranium mines. Their research findings also shed new light on the interaction between uranium and bioligands… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 437, 5 September 2022, 129376Â