Aerobic microbial manufacture of nanoscale selenium: exploiting nature's bio-nanomineralization potential.

The potential of the environment to yield organisms that can produce functional bionanominerals is demonstrated by selenium-tolerant, aerobic bacteria isolated from a seleniferous rhizosphere soil. An isolate, NS3, was identified as a Bacillus species (EU573774.1) based on morphological and 16S rRNA characterization. This strain reduced Se(IV) under aerobic conditions to produce amorphous alpha Se(0) nanospheres. A room-temperature washing treatment was then employed to remove the biomass and resulted in the production of clusters of hexagonal Se(0) nano-rods. The Se(0) nanominerals were analyzed using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. This Bacillus isolate has the potential to be used both in the neutralizing of toxic Se(IV) anions in the environment and in the environmentally friendly manufacture of nanomaterials.