Method of extracting uranium from sea water

A method of producing a matrix of cultivatable micro-organisms for extracting uranium from sea water comprising in combination the process steps of:

• exposing micro-organisms to X-rays to form irradiated micro-organisms and mutants from individual cells of micro-organisms found in nature which are easily filtered and cultivated and having a ratio of surface to volume as large as possible and specifically micro-organisms that form colonies and are micro-organisms that form threads, placing the thus irradiated micro-organisms upon a nutrient medium rich in uranium and leaving said micro-organisms until surviving colonies of mutants form, inoculating the surviving colonies of mutants in a nutrient solution, and further cultivating the surviving colonies of mutants to thereby obtain a cell matrix of micro-organisms, and utilizing blue algae of the type oscillatoria found in nature as matrix micro-organisms.

A selective method of producing a matrix of cultivatable micro-organisms for extracting uranium from sea water, comprising the process steps of:

• exposing micro-organisms to X-rays to formm irradiated micro-organisms and mutants from individual cells of micro-organisms found in nature which are easily filtered and cultivated and having a ratio of surface to volume as large as possible and specifically selected from the group consisting of filamentous micro-organisms that form colonies, placing the thus irradiated micro-organisms upon a nutrient medium rich in uranium and leaving said micro-organisms thereon until surviving colonies of mutants form, inoculating the surviving colonies of mutants in a nutrient solution, further cultivating the surviving colonies of mutants to thereby obtain a cell matrix of micro-organisms, and utilizing blue algae of the type oscillatoria found in nature as matrix micro-organisms.

In a method of producing a matrix of cultivatable micro-organisms, with which these micro-organisms are irradiated by means of X-ray beams whereupon the irradiated micro-organisms are brought upon nutrient medium rich in uranium content and are left thereon until formation of colonies occurs followed by inoculating the surviving colonies of mutants in a nutrient solution, the improvement in combination therewith which comprises using micro-organisms having a ratio of surface to volume as large as possible and forming colonies and fibers as well as being easily filterable and cultivatable and also having stability of micro-organisms compared with uranium as well as capability thereof for taking up uranium, particularly those colonies and filament-forming micro-organisms being selected which are compatible with uranium and capable of taking up uranium.