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Aerobic microbial manufacture of nanoscale selenium: exploiting nature’s bio-nanomineralization potential

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Abstract

The potential of the environment to yield organisms that can produce functional bionanominerals is demonstrated by selenium-tolerant, aerobic bacteria isolated from a seleniferous rhizosphere soil. An isolate, NS3, was identified as a Bacillus species (EU573774.1) based on morphological and 16S rRNA characterization. This strain reduced Se(IV) under aerobic conditions to produce amorphous α Se(0) nanospheres. A room-temperature washing treatment was then employed to remove the biomass and resulted in the production of clusters of hexagonal Se(0) nano-rods. The Se(0) nanominerals were analyzed using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. This Bacillus isolate has the potential to be used both in the neutralizing of toxic Se(IV) anions in the environment and in the environmentally friendly manufacture of nanomaterials.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Chris Boothman, Alastair Bewsher and Steve Caldwell of Williamson Centre for Molecular Environmental Sciences, for facilitating Molecular, ion chromatography and ESEM analysis. NTP acknowledges Erasmus-Mundus Programme for funding MESPOM Visiting Scholarship for carrying out research work at University of Manchester, United Kingdom and Defence Research and Development Organization, India for research grant and fellowship to Ms. Sharma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Thapar University, Patiala, India

    N. Tejo Prakash & Neetu Sharma

  2. School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Thapar University, Patiala, India

    Ranjana Prakash

  3. School of Physics and Material Sciences, Thapar University, Patiala, India

    Kuldeep K. Raina

  4. School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Jonathan Fellowes, Carolyn I. Pearce, Jonathan R. Lloyd & Richard A. D. Pattrick

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  1. N. Tejo Prakash
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  2. Neetu Sharma
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  3. Ranjana Prakash
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  4. Kuldeep K. Raina
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  5. Jonathan Fellowes
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  6. Carolyn I. Pearce
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  7. Jonathan R. Lloyd
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  8. Richard A. D. Pattrick
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Correspondence to N. Tejo Prakash.

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Tejo Prakash, N., Sharma, N., Prakash, R. et al. Aerobic microbial manufacture of nanoscale selenium: exploiting nature’s bio-nanomineralization potential. Biotechnol Lett 31, 1857–1862 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-009-0096-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-009-0096-0

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