2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Study on arsenic methylation characteristics of microorganisms and application to the detoxification process of arsenic
| Project/Area Number |
23510099
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
Environmental technology/Environmental materials
|
|---|
| Research Institution | University of Miyazaki |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2011 – 2013
|
| Keywords | 環境技術 / 応用微生物 / 酵素工学 / ヒ素の無毒化 / アルセノベタイン |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
Biomethylation of arsenic is usually considered as a detoxification of arsenic because toxicity of most organic methylated arsenic is much less than that of inorganic arsenic. To develop an effective technology for conversion of inorganic arsenic to arsenobetaine (AB) by using microorganisms, we have searched for microorganisms that have the ability to methylate arsenic that are adequately applicable for the detoxification process. As a result, we have successfully isolated a strain, Cellulomonas sp. strain K63 that has arsenic methylation ability from the soil. In this study, the arsenic methylation characteristics of strain K63 were evaluated. The results suggest that strain K63 is a microorganism with arsenic methylation ability that is sufficient for use in detoxification processes, and further suggests that if the conversion efficiency to AB can be improved, a technology for restoration of arsenic to nature after detoxification using microorganisms can be established.
|
