Controlled Crystallization and Transformation of Carbonate Minerals with Dumbbell-like Morphologies on Bacterial Cell Templates.

Research on the biogenic-specific polymorphism and morphology of carbonate has been gaining momentum in the fields of biomineralization and industrial engineering in recent years. We report the nucleation of carbonate particles on bacterial cell templates to produce a novel dumbbell-like morphology which was assembled by needle-like crystals of magnesium calcite or aragonite radiating out from both ends of the template bacterium. Mature dumbbell-like structures had a tendency to break apart in the central template region, which was made up mostly of weak amorphous carbonate.

Nucleation and Growth of Mg-Calcite Spherulites Induced by the Bacterium Curvibacter lanceolatus Strain HJ-1.

Calcite spherulites have been observed in many laboratory experiments with different bacteria, and spherulitic growth has received much interest in mineralogy research. However, the nucleation and growth mechanism, as well as geological significance of calcite spherulites in solution with bacteria is still unclear. Herein, spherulites composed of an amorphous core, a Mg-calcite body and an organic film were precipitated by the Curvibacter lanceolatus HJ-1 bacterial strain in a solution with a molar Mg/Ca ratio of 3.

Vaterite induced by Lysinibacillus sp. GW-2 strain and its stability.

Studies on the formation and stability of vaterite by bacteria in experimental systems are of great importance for understanding the mechanism by which microbes contribute to carbonate mineralization. In this study, mineralization experiments using Lysinibacillus sp. strain GW-2 were carried out for 72h under shaking conditions and aging experiments using biotic and chemically synthesized vaterite were performed for 60days in distilled water and air.