| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Bio-Nano Interfaces and Engineering Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Iron Acquisition and Mineral Transformation by Cyanobacteria Living in Extreme Environments |
| Author(s) |
David Kisailus |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
David Kisailus |
| Abstract Scope |
Iron is an essential micronutrient for most living organisms, including cyanobacteria. These microorganisms have been found in Earth's driest locations. Iron-containing minerals were identified in colonized rock substrates from these regions, however, the interactions between microorganisms and iron minerals remain unclear. We determined that colonized gypsum rocks collected from the Atacama Desert contained both magnetite and hematite phases. A cyanobacteria isolate was cultured on substrates consisting of gypsum with embedded magnetite nanoparticles. Electron microscopy analyses were conducted on these substrates that revealed phase transformations in the presence of biofilms secreted at the mineral interfaces. Higher cell counts and production of siderophores were observed in cultures with magnetite based minerals, suggesting that cyanobacteria were actively acquiring iron. Magnetite dissolution and iron acquisition by the cyanobacteria was further confirmed, uncovering a survival strategy of cyanobacteria in these extreme environments. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Phase Transformations, Thin Films and Interfaces, Biomaterials |