Uranium phosphate biomineralization by fungi

Xinjin Liang; Stephen Hillier; Helen Pendlowski; Nia Gray; Andrea Ceci; Geoffrey Michael Gadd

doi:10.1111/1462-2920.12771

Uranium phosphate biomineralization by fungi

Xinjin Liang, Stephen Hillier, Helen Pendlowski, Nia Gray, Andrea Ceci, Geoffrey Michael Gadd (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Geoactive soil fungi were investigated for phosphatase-mediated uranium precipitation during growth on an organic phosphorus source. Aspergillus niger and Paecilomyces javanicus were grown on modified Czapek-Dox medium amended with glycerol 2-phosphate (G2P) as sole P source and uranium nitrate. Both organisms showed reduced growth on uranium-containing media but were able to extensively precipitate uranium and phosphorus-containing minerals on hyphal surfaces, and these were identified by X-ray powder diffraction as uranyl phosphate species, including potassium uranyl phosphate hydrate (KPUO₆.3H₂O), meta-ankoleite [(K_1.7Ba_0.2)(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂.6H₂O], uranyl phosphate hydrate [(UO₂)₃(PO₄)₂.4H₂O], meta-ankoleite (K(UO₂)(PO₄).3H₂O), uramphite (NH₄UO₂PO₄.3H₂O) and chernikovite [(H₃O)₂(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂.6H₂O]. Some minerals with a morphology similar to bacterial hydrogen uranyl phosphate were detected on A. niger biomass. Geochemical modelling confirmed the complexity of uranium speciation, and the presence of meta-ankoleite, uramphite and uranyl phosphate hydrate between pH 3 and 8 closely matched the experimental data, with potassium as the dominant cation. We have therefore demonstrated that fungi can precipitate U-containing phosphate biominerals when grown with an organic source of P, with the hyphal matrix serving to localize the resultant uranium minerals. The findings throw further light on potential fungal roles in U and P biogeochemistry as well as the application of these mechanisms for element recovery or bioremediation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2064-2075
Number of pages	12
Journal	Environmental Microbiology
Volume	17
Issue number	6
Early online date	10 Mar 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.12771
Publication status	Published - Jun 2015

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3 Finished

COG3: The Geology, Geometallurgy and Geomicrobiology of Cobalt Resources Leading to New Product Streams (joint with Natural History Museum and Universities of Manchester, Bangor, Exeter, Loughborough and Southampton and Industrial Partner)
Gadd , G. M.
Natural Environment Research Council
1/05/15 → 31/03/21
Project: Research
Tellurium and Selenium Cycling and Supply (Joint with Universities of Leicester, Durham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Aberdeen and Open University and Natural History Museum)
Gadd , G. M.
Natural Environment Research Council
1/05/15 → 4/03/20
Project: Research
Strategic Award: Wellcome Trust Technology Platform
Blow, J., Lamond, A. & Owen-Hughes, T.
Wellcome Trust
1/01/13 → 30/09/18
Project: Research

Geomycology: fungal bioweathering, bioleaching, bioprecipitation and biotransformation of metals and minerals
Author: Liang, X., 2015
Supervisor: Gadd, G. (Supervisor)
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy

Gadd , Geoffrey Michael
- Geomicrobiology Group - Professor & Boyd Baxter Chair of Biology
Person: Academic

Cite this

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title = "Uranium phosphate biomineralization by fungi",

abstract = "Geoactive soil fungi were investigated for phosphatase-mediated uranium precipitation during growth on an organic phosphorus source. Aspergillus niger and Paecilomyces javanicus were grown on modified Czapek-Dox medium amended with glycerol 2-phosphate (G2P) as sole P source and uranium nitrate. Both organisms showed reduced growth on uranium-containing media but were able to extensively precipitate uranium and phosphorus-containing minerals on hyphal surfaces, and these were identified by X-ray powder diffraction as uranyl phosphate species, including potassium uranyl phosphate hydrate (KPUO6.3H2O), meta-ankoleite [(K1.7Ba0.2)(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O], uranyl phosphate hydrate [(UO2)3(PO4)2.4H2O], meta-ankoleite (K(UO2)(PO4).3H2O), uramphite (NH4UO2PO4.3H2O) and chernikovite [(H3O)2(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O]. Some minerals with a morphology similar to bacterial hydrogen uranyl phosphate were detected on A. niger biomass. Geochemical modelling confirmed the complexity of uranium speciation, and the presence of meta-ankoleite, uramphite and uranyl phosphate hydrate between pH 3 and 8 closely matched the experimental data, with potassium as the dominant cation. We have therefore demonstrated that fungi can precipitate U-containing phosphate biominerals when grown with an organic source of P, with the hyphal matrix serving to localize the resultant uranium minerals. The findings throw further light on potential fungal roles in U and P biogeochemistry as well as the application of these mechanisms for element recovery or bioremediation.",

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AU - Liang, Xinjin

AU - Hillier, Stephen

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AU - Gray, Nia

AU - Ceci, Andrea

AU - Gadd, Geoffrey Michael

PY - 2015/6

Y1 - 2015/6

N2 - Geoactive soil fungi were investigated for phosphatase-mediated uranium precipitation during growth on an organic phosphorus source. Aspergillus niger and Paecilomyces javanicus were grown on modified Czapek-Dox medium amended with glycerol 2-phosphate (G2P) as sole P source and uranium nitrate. Both organisms showed reduced growth on uranium-containing media but were able to extensively precipitate uranium and phosphorus-containing minerals on hyphal surfaces, and these were identified by X-ray powder diffraction as uranyl phosphate species, including potassium uranyl phosphate hydrate (KPUO6.3H2O), meta-ankoleite [(K1.7Ba0.2)(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O], uranyl phosphate hydrate [(UO2)3(PO4)2.4H2O], meta-ankoleite (K(UO2)(PO4).3H2O), uramphite (NH4UO2PO4.3H2O) and chernikovite [(H3O)2(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O]. Some minerals with a morphology similar to bacterial hydrogen uranyl phosphate were detected on A. niger biomass. Geochemical modelling confirmed the complexity of uranium speciation, and the presence of meta-ankoleite, uramphite and uranyl phosphate hydrate between pH 3 and 8 closely matched the experimental data, with potassium as the dominant cation. We have therefore demonstrated that fungi can precipitate U-containing phosphate biominerals when grown with an organic source of P, with the hyphal matrix serving to localize the resultant uranium minerals. The findings throw further light on potential fungal roles in U and P biogeochemistry as well as the application of these mechanisms for element recovery or bioremediation.

AB - Geoactive soil fungi were investigated for phosphatase-mediated uranium precipitation during growth on an organic phosphorus source. Aspergillus niger and Paecilomyces javanicus were grown on modified Czapek-Dox medium amended with glycerol 2-phosphate (G2P) as sole P source and uranium nitrate. Both organisms showed reduced growth on uranium-containing media but were able to extensively precipitate uranium and phosphorus-containing minerals on hyphal surfaces, and these were identified by X-ray powder diffraction as uranyl phosphate species, including potassium uranyl phosphate hydrate (KPUO6.3H2O), meta-ankoleite [(K1.7Ba0.2)(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O], uranyl phosphate hydrate [(UO2)3(PO4)2.4H2O], meta-ankoleite (K(UO2)(PO4).3H2O), uramphite (NH4UO2PO4.3H2O) and chernikovite [(H3O)2(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O]. Some minerals with a morphology similar to bacterial hydrogen uranyl phosphate were detected on A. niger biomass. Geochemical modelling confirmed the complexity of uranium speciation, and the presence of meta-ankoleite, uramphite and uranyl phosphate hydrate between pH 3 and 8 closely matched the experimental data, with potassium as the dominant cation. We have therefore demonstrated that fungi can precipitate U-containing phosphate biominerals when grown with an organic source of P, with the hyphal matrix serving to localize the resultant uranium minerals. The findings throw further light on potential fungal roles in U and P biogeochemistry as well as the application of these mechanisms for element recovery or bioremediation.

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Uranium phosphate biomineralization by fungi

Abstract

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COG3: The Geology, Geometallurgy and Geomicrobiology of Cobalt Resources Leading to New Product Streams (joint with Natural History Museum and Universities of Manchester, Bangor, Exeter, Loughborough and Southampton and Industrial Partner)

Tellurium and Selenium Cycling and Supply (Joint with Universities of Leicester, Durham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Aberdeen and Open University and Natural History Museum)

Strategic Award: Wellcome Trust Technology Platform

Geomycology: fungal bioweathering, bioleaching, bioprecipitation and biotransformation of metals and minerals

Gadd , Geoffrey Michael

Cite this