INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF SMALL THERMAL NEUTRON FLUXES ON THE PROPERTIES OF BACTERIA RHIZOBIUM PHASEOLI IS TAAS-80 TJ AND BACILLUS MEGATERIUM VAR. PHOSPHATICUM

Abstract

In this work, the effects of a small thermal neutron flux on the growth rate of Rhizobium phaseoli IS TAAS-80 TJ and Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum bacteria intended for use in the production of micronutrients were studied. The phenomenon of germination of grow rate of bacteria under irradiation with small fluxes of thermal neutrons has been discovered. The best result was obtained with thermal neutron fluxes of 5.4-106 Fluence, at which the grow rate of bacteria increases by 5-6 times. It has been experimentally shown that one of the possible mechanisms of the influence of thermal neutrons on the properties of biological objects is the interaction of thermal neutrons by the nuclei of light atoms of the composition of these objects. For this purpose, the IR spectra of the bacteria Rhizobium phaseoli IS TAAS-80 TJ and Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum were studied and the effect of a small thermal neutron flux on the spectral characteristics of these bacteria was estimated. It was found that in some bands of the IR spectrum of bacteria, when they are irradiated with small fluxes of thermal neutrons, the optical density intensity ratio changes. The greatest change is observed with thermal neutron fluxes of 5.4-106 Fluence, which correlates with an increase in the growth rate of bacteria by 5-6 times. It has been established that the change in the biological activity of bacteria is associated with a change in methyl groups. It has been experimentally shown that one of the possible mechanisms of the influence of thermal neutrons on the IR spectrum of the bacteria Rhizobium phaseoli IS TAAS-80 TJ and Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum is a nuclear reaction of radiation capture of thermal neutrons by nuclei of nitrogen atoms of the species . It is assumed that the mechanism of changing the activity of bacteria under the influence of thermal neutrons is due to a change in the conformation of DNA chains at certain sites and methylation of DNA, proteins and polymerase.