Exploring the microbial biotransformation of extraterrestrial material on nanometer scale.

Exploration of microbial-meteorite redox interactions highlights the possibility of bioprocessing of extraterrestrial metal resources and reveals specific microbial fingerprints left on extraterrestrial material. In the present study, we provide our observations on a microbial-meteorite nanoscale interface of the metal respiring thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula. M.

Biotransformation of Scheelite CaWO by the Extreme Thermoacidophile : Tungsten-Microbial Interface.

The tungsten-microbial interactions and microbial bioprocessing of tungsten ores, which are still underexplored, are the focus of the current study. Here we show that the biotransformation of tungsten mineral scheelite performed by the extreme thermoacidophile leads to the breakage of scheelite structure and subsequent tungsten solubilization. Total soluble tungsten is significantly higher in cultures containing grown on scheelite than the abiotic control, indicating active bioleaching.

Nanoscale Tungsten-Microbial Interface of the Metal Immobilizing Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Cultivated With Tungsten Polyoxometalate.

Inorganic systems based upon polyoxometalate (POM) clusters provide an experimental approach to develop artificial life. These artificial symmetric anionic macromolecules with oxidometalate polyhedra as building blocks were shown to be well suited as inorganic frameworks for complex self-assembling and organizing systems with emergent properties. Analogously to mineral cells based on iron sulfides, POMs are considered as inorganic cells in facilitating prelife chemical processes and displaying "life-like" characteristics.

Synthesis and characterization of hybrid Anderson hexamolybdoaluminates(III) functionalized with indometacin or cinnamic acid.

The single-side Al-centred tris-functionalized hybrid organic-inorganic Anderson polyoxomolybdates (CHN)[Al(OH)MoO(OCH)CNH(CHO)]·CHN·4CHOH·5HO (AlMo-NH-Cin; Cin is cinnamic acid, CHO) and (CHN)[Al(OH)MoO(OCH)CNH(CHClNO)]·9HO (AlMo-NH-Indo; Indo is indometacin, CHClNO) have been prepared in a mild three-step synthesis and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, H NMR and IR spectroscopies and elemental analysis. Both AlMo-NH-Cin and AlMo-NH-Indo crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pbca. The antibacterial activities of AlMo-NH-Cin and AlMo-NH-Indo against the Gram-negative human mucosal pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis were investigated by determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration, which is 32 µg ml for AlMo-NH-Cin and 256 µg ml for AlMo-NH-Indo.

Exploring Fingerprints of the Extreme Thermoacidophile Grown on Synthetic Martian Regolith Materials as the Sole Energy Sources.

The biology of metal transforming microorganisms is of a fundamental and applied importance for our understanding of past and present biogeochemical processes on Earth and in the Universe. The extreme thermoacidophile is a metal mobilizing archaeon, which thrives in hot acid environments (optimal growth at 74°C and pH 2.0) and utilizes energy from the oxidation of reduced metal inorganic sources.

Electronic State of Sodium trans-[Tetrachloridobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)] (NKP-1339) in Tumor, Liver and Kidney Tissue of a SW480-bearing Mouse.

Ruthenium complexes are promising candidates for anticancer agents, especially NKP-1339 (sodium trans-[tetrachloridobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)]), which is on the edge to clinical applications. The anticancer mechanism seems to be tightly linked to the redox chemistry but despite progress in human clinical trials the in vivo Ru oxidation state and the coordination of Ru remains unclear. The Ru-based anticancer drug NKP-1339 was studied applying XANES (Cl K- and Ru L-edges) in tumor, kidney and liver tissue of a SW480 bearing mouse.

Photoreduction of Terrigenous Fe-Humic Substances Leads to Bioavailable Iron in Oceans.

Humic substances (HS) are important iron chelators responsible for the transport of iron from freshwater systems to the open sea, where iron is essential for marine organisms. Evidence suggests that iron complexed to HS comprises the bulk of the iron ligand pool in near-coastal waters and shelf seas. River-derived HS have been investigated to study their transport to, and dwell in oceanic waters.

Photoreduction of Terrigenous Fe-Humic Substances Leads to Bioavailable Iron in Oceans.

Humic substances (HS) are important iron chelators responsible for the transport of iron from freshwater systems to the open sea, where iron is essential for marine organisms. Evidence suggests that iron complexed to HS comprises the bulk of the iron ligand pool in near-coastal waters and shelf seas. River-derived HS have been investigated to study their transport to, and dwell in oceanic waters.

The Synthesis and Characterization of Aromatic Hybrid Anderson-Evans POMs and their Serum Albumin Interactions: The Shift from Polar to Hydrophobic Interactions.

Four aromatic hybrid Anderson polyoxomolybdates with Fe(3+) or Mn(3+) as the central heteroatom have been synthesized by using a pre-functionalization protocol and characterized by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, FTIR, ESI-MS, (1) H NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Structural analysis revealed the formation of (TBA)3 [FeMo6 O18 {(OCH2 )3 CNHCOC6 H5 }2 ]⋅3.5 ACN (TBA-FeMo6 -bzn; TBA=tetrabutylammonium, ACN=acetonitrile, bzn=TRIS-benzoic acid alkanolamide, TRISR=(HOCH2 )3 CR)), (TBA)3 [FeMo6 O18 {(OCH2 )3 CNHCOC8 H7 }2 ]⋅2.

Tris-functionalized hybrid Anderson polyoxometalates: synthesis, characterization, hydrolytic stability and inversion of protein surface charge.

Single- and double-sided functionalized hybrid organic-inorganic Anderson polyoxomolybdates with Ga(III) and Fe(III) positioned as central heteroatoms have been synthesized in a mild, two-step synthesis in an aqueous medium. Compounds 1-4 were isolated as hydrated salts, [TBA]3[GaMo6O18(OH)3{(OCH2)3CCH2OH}]×12 H2O (1) (TBA = tetrabutylammonium), Na3[FeMo6O18{(OCH2)3CCH2OH}2]×11 H2O (2), [TMA]2[GaMo6O18(OH)3{(OCH2)3CNH3}]×7 H2O (3) (TMA = tetramethylammonium), and Na[TMA]2[FeMo6O18(OH)3{(OCH2)3CNH3}](OH)×6 H2O (4). All the compounds were characterized based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD), FTIR, UV/Vis, thermogravimetric, ESI-MS, NMR, and elemental analyses.