A novel Bacillaceae bacterium enhances phytoprotection and mercury detoxification in contaminated soils.
Penalba-Iglesias D, Robas-Mora M, González-Reguero D, Fernández-Pastrana VM, Lobo AP
Phytoremediation
Abandoned mining sites and industrial brownfields near your community could one day be restored using nothing more than native soil bacteria and a crop of white lupins — no excavation, no toxic chemicals, just biology doing the cleanup.
Researchers found a brand-new type of bacterium living in an old mercury mine in Spain. When they added it to soil contaminated with mercury and grew white lupin plants in it, the plants stayed healthier, grew better, and absorbed almost no mercury — up to 93% less than plants without the bacteria. The bacterium essentially acts as a bodyguard for plant roots while also cleaning up the poisoned soil around them.
Key Findings
Bacterial inoculation reduced mercury accumulation in white lupin plant tissues by up to 93% compared to uninoculated controls.
Genomic analysis confirmed the strain represents a distinct new genus within the Bacillaceae family, with only 83% average nucleotide identity to its closest known relative.
The bacterium carries resistance genes for mercury (merA, merB), copper, and zinc/cadmium, and improved soil microbial metabolic activity and functional diversity under toxic conditions.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered a new species of soil bacterium that dramatically reduces mercury uptake in plants grown in contaminated soil — cutting mercury accumulation in plant tissues by up to 93%. This strain also boosts plant growth and helps restore the broader soil microbial community in heavily polluted land.
Abstract Preview
Environmental pollution due to heavy metals has become a global issue over the latest decades, affecting environmental, animal, and human health. This research conducted a phenotypic, genomic, and ...
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Lupinus albus, commonly known as the white lupin, is a species of the genus Lupinus in the family Fabaceae native to the northeastern Mediterranean region. It is also a traditional pulse cultivated across the Mediterranean region and elsewhere.