Bioreduction of Metal Oxides and Oxyanions by Photosynthetic Bacteria

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Bioreduction of Metal Oxides and Oxyanions
by Photosynthetic Bacteria

Summary:

A family of bacteria, members of the Proteobacteria class have been found to extract and metabolize certain rare-earth salts from liquid solutions while being highly resistant to many others. These activities can occur aerobically and anaerobically. The bacteria incorporate the base metal and under certain growth conditions they release large amounts of hydrogen gas.

Experiments (1) have shown that the bacteria are able to reduce metal oxides and oxyanions in a variety of environments, including aerobic in the dark or light and under anaerobic conditions in the absence or presence of light. However, it is under these latter conditions that hydrogen gas is evolved.

These organisms can be very useful in the bioremediation of waste waters particularly agricultural and industrial run-offs, metal ore refining, and the production of hydrogen gas.

Technology Status:

These patents are available for licensing from UT-Houston Health Science Center.

Patent Status: Patent Nos. 5,352,608 and 5,804,424

Inventor: Samuel Kaplan, Ph.D.

Publication:

Moore M.D., Kaplan S. 1992. Identification of Intrinsic High-Level Resistance to Rare-Earth Oxides and Oxyanions in Members of the Class Proteobacteria: Characterization of Tellurite, Selenite, and Rhodium Sesquioxide Reduction of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. J. Bacteriology. 174: 1505-1514.