Filtration material inspired by microorganisms


Filtration material inspired by microorganisms

Kutschke, S.; Pollmann, K.; Raff, J.; Matys, S.

Detoxification strategy of bacteria, living in uranium mining waste piles, is one part of radio-ecological investigation at the Institute of Radiochemistry of the Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. On that account several isolates were subsequently analyzed regarding their growth in presence of different heavy metals and their heavy metal binding properties, particularly using uranium. Some isolates show a high and selective binding for uranium, cadmium, lead, and a few other heavy metals. Interestingly, the heavy metals were immobilized on the cell surface, preventing any sustainable damage of the cell. Responsible for the binding of heavy metals outside the cell is a proteinaceous cell envelope, a so-called surface layer (S-layer).
Using these heavy metal binding properties of bacterial cells and S-layer different filter materials were developed. These include the production of biofilm based materials and the protein immobilization on conventional carriers. Thereby, a different binding behaviour between whole cells and their corresponding S-Layers could be observed. Moreover the S-layer based filter materials bind also some precious metals. So a metal selective filter material for the removal of heavy metals and precious metals from aqueous solutions is developing.

Keywords: Proteinous bacterial surface layer (S-layer); Metal binding capacities of S-layer; Application potential

  • Invited lecture (Conferences)
    Synthetic Fibre Talks- Membranes and Filters, 29.-30.04.2010, Aachen, Deutschland

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Publ.-Id: 14663