3d reconstruction of bacterial extracellular material for investigation of membrane turnover during metal reduction.
EMSL Project ID
39398
Abstract
Dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria can immobilize soluble metals such as Fe, U or Tc by reducing them into less soluble material. This presents an elegant method for immobilization of motile toxic ions in subsurface. Although the mechanism of the bacterial reduction has been studied for over two decades, little is known about the mechanism of the bacterial turnover - the process of how bacteria are excessing the reduced material, in many cases massive amounts accumulated within their membranes, away from their cells. The direct involvement of bacterial extracellular polysaccharides is suspected to play an important role in collection and accumulation of the reduced material. Our goal is to assemble a large 3d model based on serial slices by 3View method and consecutive microtome sections / TEM to clarify and explain this process. This will be an important contribution to the understanding of the bacterial physiology during the dissimilatory metal reduction, with implications to the stabilization and transport of biominerals in soil microenvironments.
Project Details
Start Date
2010-03-29
End Date
2011-04-03
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator