• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.62-67
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• 2024

In this paper, we developed and optimized a chitosan-based polymer microbial bead carrier that is cell-friendly, has a high moisture absorption rate, and effectively provides the conditions for microbial biomineral formation as an optimal microbial carrier that protects microorganisms in concrete, and evaluated the self-healing performance of mortar using it. In order to incorporate circular-shaped microbial endospores, a circular-shaped microbial bead carrier was developed by combining chitosan and alginate polymers, and the amount of calcium carbonate produced could be actively controlled by adjusting the composition of the carrier. The amount of biominerals formed and the size of crystals were maximized in the hydrogel bead carrier containing chitosan, and in the case of mortar cracks using this, it was confirmed that self-healing of cracks with a maximum crack width of 0.3mm was achieved within 96 hours after crack generation.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.265-273
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• 2001

The sea urchin has been used as sea food in many countries. This species has also been an important organism of embryological studies for more than a century. In recent years, sea urchin embryos are being used as testing materials for toxicity of pollutants and toxins. Usefulness of sea urchin embryos as experimental models comes from the easiness in obtaining sea urchin samples and a lot of gametes, in rearing embryos in the laboratory, in observing the cellular movement and organ formation during the embryogenesis and in manipulating blastomeres and genetic maferials. The sea urchin in itself is a key organism for the understanding of deuterostome evolution from the protostomes and of indirect development of marine invertebrates which undergo the planktotrophic larval stage. A fertilized sea urchin egg goes through rapid cleavage and becomes a 60 cell embryo 7hr after fertilization. It then develops into a morula, a blastula, a gastrula and finally a pluteus larva approximately 70 hr after fertilization. At the 60 cell stage, the embryo comprises of five territories that express territory-speciflc genes and later form different organs. Micromeres at the vegetal pole ingress into the blastoceol and become the primary mesenchyme cells(PMCs). PMCs express genes involved in skeletogenesis such as SM30, SM37, SM50, PM27, msp130. Among the genes, SM37 and SM50 are considered to be members of a gene family which is characterized by early blastula expression, Glycine-Proline-Glutamine rich repeat structures and spicule matrix forming basic proteins. Genetic studies on the sea urchin embryos help understand the molecular basis of indirect development of marine invertebrates and also of the biomineralization common to the animal kingdom.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.231-240
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• 2002

Microbial metal reduction influences the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and metals as well as plays an important role in the bioremediation of metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. The use of bacteria to facilitate the production of magnetite nanoparticles and the formation of carbonate minerals may provide new biotechnological processes for material synthesis and carbon sequestration. Metal-reducing bacteria were isolated from a variety of extreme environments, such as deep terrestrial subsurface, deep marine sediments, water near Hydrothemal vents, and alkaline ponds. Metal-reducing bacteria isolated from diverse extreme environments were able to reduce Fe(III), Mn(IV), Cr(VI), Co(III), and U(VI) using short chain fatty acids and/or hydrogen as the electron donors. These bacteria exhibited diverse mineral precipitation capabilities including the formation of magnetite ($Fe_3$$O_4$), siderite ($FeCO_3$), calcite ($CaCO_3$), rhodochrosite ($MnCO_3$), vivianite [$Fe_3$($PO_4$)$_2$ .$8H_2$O], and uraninite ($UO_2$). Geochemical and environmental factors such as atmospheres, chemical milieu, and species of bacteria affected the extent of Fe(III)-reduction as well as the mineralogy and morphology of the crystalline iron mineral phases. Thermophilic bacteria use amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide plus metals (Co, Cr, Ni) as an electron acceptor and organic carbon as an electron donor to synthesize metal-substituted magnetite. Metal reducing bacteria were capable of $CO_2$conversion Into sparingly soluble carbonate minerals, such as siderite and calcite using amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide or metal-rich fly ash. These results indicate that microbial Fe(III)-reduction may not only play important roles in iron and carbon biogeochemistry in natural environments, but also be potentially useful f3r the synthesis of submicron-sized ferromagnetic materials.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.549-559
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• 2009

The objectives of this study are to investigate the biomineralization of goethite and lepidocrocite formed on the twisted-stalk and the sheathed-filament structure that is suggest microbe origin, and heavy metal in the yellow Fe-hydroxide. On the ratio of Cl and the Cl/Br ratios that are a pollution and non-pollution of groundwaters, it is indicated that the groundwater in this areas were relatively contaminated by human activity. The composition of the yellow Fe-hydroxide consisted mainly of $Fe_2O_3$ and $SiO_2$. The content of $Fe_2O_3$ ranges from 58.57 wt.% to 75.7 3wt.%, and $SiO_2$ content ranges from 5.8 wt.% to 16.17 wt.%. Heavy metal elements such as Zn(max. 6,160 mg/kg), Pb(max. 377 mg/kg), U(max. 503 mg/kg), Cr(max. 203 mg/kg), Cu(max. 77 mg/kg), V(max. 162 mg/kg), Ni(max. 105 mg/kg) were observed to be rich in those yellow Fe-hydroxide. The lath and platy crystals and needle-shaped crystals were clearly observed on the twisted-stalks and sheathed-filaments structure. The goethite, gypsum, and lepidocrocite were identified in the yellow Fe-hydroxide by x-ray powder diffraction.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.138-143
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• 2023

In this study, the crack healing performance of each crack healing agent manufacturing method was analyzed by adding crack healing agents in the form of alginate gel and spore suspension inoculated with endospores of calcium carbonate-forming bacteria to mortar. In addition, by applying it to an full-scale structure in the form of a box-type culvert, we attempted to create an environment in which the developed crack healing agent can be applied not only to a laboratory environment but also to an actual field. The crack healing agent using the dry heat drying method showed crack healing performance, but in the case of the freeze drying method, many spores were killed by freeze hardening and therefore the crack healing performance was lost. As a result of SEM and XRD pattern analysis of the presumed crack healing material extracted from the crack of a full-scale structure, it was found to be calcite, one of the calcium carbonate crystals produced by microorganisms applied to the crack healing agent. In conclusion, it was found that the crack healing by microorganisms can be implemented in a real structure.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4 s.50
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• pp.265-275
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• 2006

It is in its infancy to use bacteria as a novel biotechnology for leaching precious and heavy metals from raw materials. The objective of this study was to investigate biogeochemical processes of iron leaching from magnetite reduction by iron-reducing bacteria isolated from intertidal flat sediments, southwestern part of Korea. Microbial leaching experiments were performed using commercial magnetite, Aldrich magnetite, in well-defined mediums with and without bacteria. Water soluble Fe production was determined by ICP analysis of bioleached samples in comparison to uninoculated controls, and the resulting precipitated solids were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The extent of iron leaching from magnetite in the aerobic conditions (Fe = 107 ppm) was higher than that in the anaerobic environments (Fe = 94 ppm). In the anaerobic conditions, Fe(III) in commercial magnetite was also reduced to Fe(II), but no secondary mineral phases were observed. Amorphous iron oxides formed in the medium under aerobic conditions where there was sufficient supply of oxygen from the atmosphere. SEM observation suggests that the reduction process involves dissolution-precipitation mechanisms as opposed to solid state conversion of magnetite to amorphous iron oxides. The ability of bacteria to leach soluble iron and precipitate amorphous iron oxides from crystalline magnetite could have significant implications for biogeochemical processes in sediments where Fe(III) in magnetite plays an important role in the largest pool of electron acceptor as well as the tool as a novel biotechnology for leaching precious and heavy metals from raw materials.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2018

Baekasan Acheon cave located in Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do is a natural limestone cave only found in this province. In this study, the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of speleothems collected from Baekasan Acheon cave were identified and the capability of carbonate mineral formation by aerobic microorganisms enriched from the cave and the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of carbonate minerals formed by the microorganisms were investigated. The samples of sediments (clay) and speleothems (shelfstone and cave coral) were collected at three sites in the cave. The samples of shelfstone and cave coral were identified mainly as carbonate mineral, Mg-rich calcite, and clay minerals were composed of quartz, muscovite, and vermiculite by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. To cultivate the carbonate forming microorganisms, parts of the sediment and speleothems were placed in D-1 medium containing urea, respectively, and the growth of microorganisms was observed under the aerobic condition at room temperature. The capability of carbonate mineralization of the cultured Baekasan Acheon cave microorganisms was examined through adding 1% (v/v) of the cultured microorganisms and calcium sources, Ca-acetate or Ca-lactate, into the D-1 medium. XRD analysis showed that the microorganisms cultured in cave deposits formed calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) under all conditions, and these microbial carbonate minerals included calcite and vaterite. The morphological characteristics and chemical composition of biologically formed minerals were observed by SEM-EDS showed various crystal forms such as rhomboid, spherical, perforated surface with Ca, C, and O of major chemical components. The existence of such microorganisms in the cave can contribute the formation of carbonate minerals, and it is likely to affect the geochemical cycles of carbon and calcium in the cave.