Biosynthesis of bismuth selenide nanoparticles using chalcogen-metabolizing bacteria.

Cost and energy reductions in the production process of bismuth chalcogenide (BC) semiconductor materials are essential to make thermoelectric generators comprised of BCs profitable and CO2 neutral over their life cycle. In this study, as an eco-friendly production method, bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) nanoparticles were synthesized using the following five strains of chalcogen-metabolizing bacteria: Pseudomonas stutzeri NT-I, Pseudomonas sp. RB, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia TI-1, Ochrobactrum anthropi TI-2, and O. anthropi TI-3 under aerobic conditions. All strains actively volatilized selenium (Se) by reducing selenite, possibly to organoselenides. In the growth media containing bismuth (Bi) and Se, all strains removed Bi and Se concomitantly and synthesized nanoparticles containing Bi and Se as their main components. Particles synthesized by strain NT-I had a theoretical elemental composition of Bi2Se3, whereas those synthesized by other strains contained a small amount of sulfur in addition to Bi and Se, making strain NT-I the best Bi2Se3 synthesizer among the strains used in this study. The particle sizes were 50-100 nm in diameter, which is sufficiently small for nanostructured semiconductor materials that exhibit quantum size effect. Successful synthesis of Bi2Se3 nanoparticles could be attributed to the high Se-volatilizing activities of the bacterial strains. Selenol-containing compounds as intermediates of Se-volatilizing metabolic pathways, such as methane selenol and selenocysteine, may play an important role in biosynthesis of Bi2Se3.

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus selenatarsenatis SF-1T, a Promising Agent for Bioremediation of Environments Contaminated with Selenium and Arsenic.

Bacillus selenatarsenatis sp. nov. strain SF-1(T) is a promising agent for bioremediation of environments contaminated with selenium and arsenic. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this strain.

Effects of culture conditions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain RB on the synthesis of CdSe nanoparticles.

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) was synthesized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain RB in a culture containing lactic acid as a carbon source, 1 mM selenite, and 1 mM cadmium under various conditions. High purity (1.02-1.16 of the atomic ratio of Se to Cd) and efficient synthesis of biogenic CdSe nanoparticles were observed at 25-30°C, 0.05-10 g L(-1) NaCl, and neutral pH conditions compared with other tested conditions. However, the size and shape of synthesized CdSe nanoparticles were not changed by changing culture conditions. The contents of S and Se in the particles respectively increased under alkaline and weak acidic conditions. Furthermore, high temperature (>37°C), high salinity (>10 g L(-1) NaCl), and alkaline pH affected the CdSe-synthesizing rate by strain RB. This report is the first optimizing the culture conditions for synthesizing biogenic CdSe nanoparticles in a batch processing.

Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain RB, a Bacterium Capable of Synthesizing Cadmium Selenide Nanoparticles.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain RB is a bacterium capable of synthesizing cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanoparticles and was isolated from a soil sample. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of P. aeruginosa strain RB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a draft genome of a CdSe-synthesizing bacterium.

Isolation of a selenite-reducing and cadmium-resistant bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain RB for microbial synthesis of CdSe nanoparticles.

Bacteria capable of synthesizing CdSe from selenite and cadmium ion were enriched from a soil sample. After repeated transfer of the soil-derived bacterial cultures to a new medium containing selenite and cadmium ion 42 times (during 360 days), an enrichment culture that can simultaneously remove selenite and cadmium ion (1 mM each) from the liquid phase was obtained. The culture's color became reddish-brown, indicating CdSe nanoparticle production, as confirmed by energy-dispersive x-ray spectra (EDS). As a result of isolation operations, the bacterium that was the most responsible for synthesizing CdSe, named Pseudomonas sp. RB, was obtained. Transmission electron microscopy and EDS revealed that this strain accumulated nanoparticles (10-20 nm) consisting of selenium and cadmium inside and on the cells when cultivated in the same medium for the enrichment culture. This report is the first describing isolation of a selenite-reducing and cadmium-resistant bacterium. It is useful for CdSe nanoparticle synthesis in the simple one-vessel operation.