PubMed · 2026-05-21
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.
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.
