Petrified Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius colony to strontianite

Abstract

When biomass of the thermophilic bacteria Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius is brought into contact with a hydrogel containing sodium acetate and strontium, the biomass petrifies and hardens, becoming a mineralized thin film after incubation at 60˚C for 72 h. Analysis by energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction shows that the mineralized thin film is strontianite. This is the first report of biomass completely changing to strontianite. Strontianite of thermophilic bacterial origin may be formed in the hydrothermal oligotrophic environment of the deep subsurface. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1146702

Keywords

• Geobacillus
• Thermophilic bacterium
• Biomineralization
• Strontianite
• Mineralized thin film