Metal accumulation and polysaccharide production
AssigneeRegents of the University of Minnesota
InventorsJohn M. Wood, Francis E. Engle
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Abstract
A thermophilic-acidophilic alga, strains of Cyanidium caldarium, is disclosed as having a very effective external uptake of metals from metal-containing aqueous media. A process is disclosed for producing at least one polysaccharide comprises contacting an acidic aqueous medium containing at least one added metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, aluminum and mixtures thereof and at least one acidophilic microorganism at conditions effective for the growth of the microorganism and the production of polysaccharide by the microorganism.
Claims11
A method for collecting at least one metal comprising contacting a metal in an aqueous medium containing said metal with metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium to which said metal becomes fixed to the outer surface thereof;
- and separating said Cyanidium caldarium from said metal fixed to the outer surface thereof, said metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium being produced by a method comprising incrementally increasing the acidity of a medium containing substantially non-metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium.
Metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium having microcrystals of at least one metallic material adhered to its external cell membrane, said metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium being produced by a method comprising incrementally increasing the acidity of a medium containing substantially non-metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium.
A method for producing Cyanidium caldarium capable of collecting metallic material upon its external cell membrane comprising incrementally increasing the acidity of a medium containing substantially non-metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium;
- and recovering metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium.
A method of reducing ferric ions to ferrous ions comprising contacting a hydrochloric acid and ferric ion-containing medium or a sulfuric acid and ferric ion-containing medium with metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium, said metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium being produced by a method comprising incrementally increasing the acidity of a medium containing substantially non-metal collecting Cyanidium caldarium.
Cyanidium caldarium ATCC 40080 microorganism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.