Bio-Precipitation of Carbonate and Phosphate Minerals Induced by the Bacterium Citrobacter freundii ZW123 in an Anaerobic Environment

Microbial-induced calcium precipitation: Bibliometric analysis, reaction mechanisms, mineralization types, and perspectives

Microbial-induced calcium precipitation (MICP) refers to the formation of calcium precipitates induced by mineralization during microbial metabolism. MICP has been widely used as an ecologically sustainable method in environmental, geotechnical, and construction fields. This article reviews the removal mechanisms of MICP for different contaminants in the field of water treatment. The nucleation pathway is explained at both extracellular and intracellular levels, with a focus on evaluating the contribution of extracellular polymers to MICP. The types of mineralization and the regulatory role of enzyme genes in the MICP process are innovatively summarized. Based on this, the environmental significance of MICP is illustrated, and the application prospects of calcium precipitation products are discussed. The research hotspots and development trends of MICP are analyzed by bibliometric methods, and the challenges and future directions of MICP technology are identified. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for further understanding of the MICP phenomenon in water treatment and the effective removal of multiple pollutants, which will help researchers to find the breakthroughs and innovations in the existing technologies, with a view to making significant progress in MICP technology.

Carbonate precipitation and phosphate trapping by microbialite isolates from an alkaline insular lake (Bagno dell'Acqua, Pantelleria Island, Italy)

The Bagno dell'Acqua lake is characterized by CO2 emissions, alkaline waters (pH = 9) and Eh values which indicate strongly oxidizing conditions. A typical feature of the lake is the presence of actively growing microbialites rich in calcium carbonates and silica precipitates. Mineralogy, petrography and morphology analyses of the microbialites were coupled with the analysis of the microbial community, combining molecular and cultivation approaches. The DNA sequencing revealed distinct patterns of microbial diversity, showing pronounced differences between emerged and submerged microbialite, with the upper layer of emerged samples exhibiting the most distinctive composition, both in terms of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In particular, the most representative phyla in the microbial community were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Bacteroidota, while Cyanobacteria were present only with an average of 5%, with the highest concentration in the submerged intermediate layer (12%). The role of microorganisms in carbonate mineral formation was clearly demonstrated as most of the isolates were able to precipitate calcium carbonate and five of them were characterized at molecular level. Interestingly, when microbial isolates were cultivated only in filtered water, the precipitation of hazenite was observed (up to 85%), opening new prospective in P (phosphate) recovery from P depleted environments.

Unlocking synergies: Harnessing the potential of biological methane sequestration through metabolic coupling between Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z and Chlorella sp. HS2

A halotolerant consortium between microalgae and methanotrophic bacteria could effectively remediate in situ CH4 and CO2, particularly using saline wastewater sources. Herein, Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z was demonstrated to form a mutualistic association with Chlorella sp. HS2 at a salinity level above 3.0%. Co-culture significantly enhanced the growth of both microbes, independent of initial inoculum ratios. Additionally, increased methane provision in enclosed serum bottles led to saturated methane removal. Subsequent analyses suggested nearly an order of magnitude increase in the amount of carbon sequestered in biomass in methane-fed co-cultures, conditions that also maintained a suitable cultural pH suitable for methanotrophic growth. Collectively, these results suggest a robust metabolic coupling between the two microbes and the influence of the factors other than gaseous exchange on the assembled consortium. Therefore, multi-faceted investigations are needed to harness the significant methane removal potential of the identified halotolerant consortium under conditions relevant to real-world operation scenarios.

Four Novel Caudoviricetes Bacteriophages Isolated from Baltic Sea Water Infect Colonizers of Aurelia aurita

The moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita is associated with a highly diverse microbiota changing with provenance, tissue, and life stage. While the crucial relevance of bacteria to host fitness is well known, bacteriophages have often been neglected. Here, we aimed to isolate virulent phages targeting bacteria that are part of the A. aurita-associated microbiota. Four phages (Pseudomonas phage BSwM KMM1, Citrobacter phages BSwM KMM2-BSwM KMM4) were isolated from the Baltic Sea water column and characterized. Phages KMM2/3/4 infected representatives of Citrobacter, Shigella, and Escherichia (Enterobacteriaceae), whereas KMM1 showed a remarkably broad host range, infecting Gram-negative Pseudomonas as well as Gram-positive Staphylococcus. All phages showed an up to 99% adsorption to host cells within 5 min, short latent periods (around 30 min), large burst sizes (mean of 128 pfu/cell), and high efficiency of plating (EOP > 0.5), demonstrating decent virulence, efficiency, and infectivity. Transmission electron microscopy and viral genome analysis revealed that all phages are novel species and belong to the class of Caudoviricetes harboring a tail and linear double-stranded DNA (formerly known as Siphovirus-like (KMM3) and Myovirus-like (KMM1/2/4) bacteriophages) with genome sizes between 50 and 138 kbp. In the future, these isolates will allow manipulation of the A. aurita-associated microbiota and provide new insights into phage impact on the multicellular host.

Microencapsulated reactor for simultaneous removal of calcium, fluoride and phenol using microbially induced calcium precipitation: Mechanism and functional characterization

Fluoride ions (F^-) and phenol in groundwater have become a great hurdle to the pursuit of a healthy drinking water source. This study established a microencapsulated immobilization reactor with Aquabacterium sp. CZ3 for the simultaneous removal of nitrate (NO₃^--N), calcium (Ca²⁺), F^-, and phenol from groundwater with 100%, 67.84%, 88.67%, and 100% removal efficiencies, respectively. The three-dimensional mesh structure of microcapsules facilitated the transport and metabolism of substances, while their synergistic effect with bacteria promoted the removal of contaminants. F^- was removed by co-precipitation to generate Ca₅(PO₄)₃F and CaF₂ and adsorption. On one hand, the phenol toxicity promoted the production of extracellular polymers and improved the tolerance of bacteria; on the other hand, the degradation of phenol provided a carbon source for bacteria and promoted the denitrification. The development of microencapsulated immobilized reactor provided a clear mechanism for phenol and F^- removal under the microbially induced calcium precipitation (MICP) technique, while providing a valuable solution for the treatment of complex groundwater resources.

Calcium ion biorecovery from industrial wastewater by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DMS6

Calcium ions in industrial wastewater needs to be removed to prevent the production of limescale, which can have negative consequences. Biomineralization has become the focus due to its lower costs than traditional methods of remediation. In this study, calcium ions were bio-precipitated under the action of free and immobilized Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DMS6 bacteria, and the calcium ion removal efficiency was also compared. The results show that it only needed 3 days to decrease the calcium ion concentration to an ideal level of 76-116 mg/L under the action of DMS6 bacteria immobilized by activated carbon fiber, with calcium ion removal ratios reaching 99%-95% by the 7^th day. DMS6 bacteria immobilized by activated carbon fiber were superior to free bacteria and bacteria immobilized by sodium alginate in calcium ion removal. Calcium ions are biomineralized into calcite, Mg-rich calcite, aragonite and monohydrocalcite with abundant organic functional groups, 4 types of secondary protein structures, amino acids, phospholipids, negative stable carbon isotope δ¹³C_PDB values (-16.68‰ to-17.25‰) and negatively charged biomineral surface. Calcium ions were diffused into cells and took part in the intracellular biomineralization of monohydrocalcite, also facilitating calcium ion removal. The formation of intracellular monohydrocalcite has rarely been reported. This study demonstrates an economic and environmentally friendly method to remove calcium ions from industrial wastewater.

Laboratory Experimental Study on the Formation of Authigenic Carbonates Induced by Microbes in Marine Sediments

Authigenic carbonates are widely distributed in marine sediments, microbes, and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) play a key role in their formation. The authigenic carbonates in marine sediments have been affected by weathering and diagenesis for a long time, it is difficult to understand their formation process by analyzing the samples collected in situ. A pore water environment with 10 °C, 6 MPa in the marine sediments was built in a bioreactor to study the stages and characteristics of authigenic carbonates formation induced by microbes. In experiments, FeCO3 is formed preferentially, and then FeCO3-MgCO3 complete isomorphous series and a small part of CaCO3 isomorphous mixture are formed. According to this, it is proposed that the formation of authigenic carbonates performed by AOM and related microbes needs to undergo three stages: the rise of alkalinity, the preferential formation of a carbonate mineral, and the formation of carbonate isomorphous series. This work provides experimental experience and reference basis for further understanding the formation mechanism of authigenic carbonates in marine sediments.