MALDI-TOF-MS and 16S rRNA characterization of lead tolerant metallophile bacteria isolated from saffron soils of Kashmir for their sequestration potential.

Toxic metal contamination in soils due industrialization is nowadays a concern to the scientists worldwide. The current study deals with the evaluation of response and tolerance by isolated metallophilic bacteria in different lead concentrations (100 ppm to 1000 ppm). By taking optical densities of the isolates, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Pb were determined.