Abstract
Uranium bio-transformations are the many and varying types of interactions that microbes can have with uranium encountered in their environment. In this review, bio-transformations, including reduction, oxidation, respiration, sorption, mineralization, accumulation, precipitation, biomarkers, and sensors are defined and discussed. Consensus and divergences are noted in bioavailability, mechanism of uranium reduction, environment, metabolism and the type of organism. The breadth of organisms with characterized bio-trans formations is also cataloged and discussed. We further debate if uranium biotransformations provide bio-protection or bio-benefit to the microbe and highlight the need for more work in the field to understand if microbes use uranium reduction for energy gain and growth, as having the ability is separate from exercising it. The presentation centers on the fundamental drivers for these processes with an additional exposition of the essential contribution of inorganic chemistry techniques to the molecular characterization of these biological processes.
Highlights
Metals are an essential part of life comprising cofactors, nutrients, chlorophyll, electron acceptors and donors, color creators and more
We further debate if uranium biotransformations provide bio-protection or bio-benefit to the microbe and highlight the need for more work in the field to understand if microbes use uranium reduction for energy gain and growth, as having the ability is separate from exercising it
Additional studies show the limitation of uranium reduction with increased calcium and iron species, like ferrihydrite and iron (III) oxides, concentrations which affect the speciation of soluble uranium complexes [18] [127] [128]
Summary
Metals are an essential part of life comprising cofactors, nutrients, chlorophyll, electron acceptors and donors, color creators and more. Despite the high toxicity and potential radiation damage from uranium, some naturally-occurring microbial communities have the ability to survive, and even thrive, in highly contaminated uranium conditions These capacities yield the desired non-intrusive remediation or immobilization methods [10] [11]. Microbes have been observed reducing, oxidizing, respiring, adsorbing, mineralizing, accumulating or precipitating uranium in the environment [12] These interactions have been investigated as remediation strategies and in some cases characterized molecularly as unique chemical transformations and electron flow pathways. We conclude by presenting the contributions of classical inorganic chemistry techniques to understanding uranium bio-transformations and by making suggestions about the chemical and biological drivers of this unique and surprising reaction between an actinide that is radioactive and toxic and many naturally-occurring microbes.
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