Navigation Links
UT Knoxville and ORNL researchers reveal key to how bacteria clear mercury pollution
Date:10/1/2009

KNOXVILLE -- Mercury pollution is a persistent problem in the environment. Human activity has lead to increasingly large accumulations of the toxic chemical, especially in waterways, where fish and shellfish tend to act as sponges for the heavy metal.

It's that persistent and toxic nature that has flummoxed scientists for years in the quest to find ways to mitigate the dangers posed by the buildup of mercury in its most toxic form, methylmercury.

A new discovery by scientists at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, however, has shed new light on one of nature's best mercury fighters: bacteria.

"Mercury pollution is a significant environmental problem," said Jeremy Smith, a UT-ORNL Governor's Chair and lead author of the new study. "That's especially true for organisms at or near the top of the food chain, such as fish, shellfish, and ultimately, humans. But some bacteria seem to know how to break down the worst forms of it. Understanding how they do this is valuable information."

Scientists have known that a specific enzyme, known as MerB, gives the bacteria the ability to convert methylmercury into a less-toxic form of mercury that poses substantially less environmental risk, a trait that lets them survive in mercury-rich environments. Finding out how this enzyme works potentially may be a viable way to combat methylmercury.

The UT Knoxville and ORNL researchers, working with colleagues from the University of Georgia and University of California, San Francisco, were able to determine the mechanism -- at the most detailed level -- of how the MerB enzyme breaks apart the dangerous methylmercury molecule.

The scientists used high-performance computers to determine how the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme uses a sort of one-two-three punch to break apart a key link in the methylmercury, between mercury and carbon atoms. Once that bond is broken, the resulting subst
'/>"/>

Contact: Jay Mayfield
jay.mayfield@tennessee.edu
865-974-9409
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. UT Knoxville professor finds unexpected key to flowering plants diversity
2. UT Knoxville wins $16M NSF mathematics and biology center
3. UT Knoxville wins 2 $3M National Science Foundation research and education grants
4. Researchers identify proteins involved in new neurodegenerative syndrome
5. Texas researchers and educators head for Antarctica
6. MGH researchers describe new way to identify, evolve novel enzymes
7. University of Pennsylvania researchers develop formula to gauge risk of disease clusters
8. U of MN researchers discover noninvasive diagnostic tool for brain diseases
9. U of Minnesota researchers discover noninvasive diagnostic tool for brain diseases
10. Researchers discover new strategies for antibiotic resistance
11. Researchers find new taste in fruit flies: carbonated water
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:6/19/2013)... The Microbial Diversity Course at the Marine Biological ... a Milestones in Microbiology site by the American ... in Microbiology program recognizes institutions and the scientists ... toward advancing the science of microbiology. A ... site is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2013, ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... June 19, 2013 AT&T * ... upcoming launch of the ultimate workhorse among ruggedized ... As one of the most ruggedized phones equipped ... Terrain embodies toughened versatility and business-ready features.  Its ... keep workforces moving forward, while also keeping up ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... A new variety of canary seeds bred specifically for ... be ideal for people with celiac disease (CD), scientists ... Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry . , ... least 3 million people in the United States alone ... eating wheat, barley, rye and other grains that contain ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Microbial diversity course designated as a 'Milestones in Microbiology' site 2AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 2AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 3AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 4AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 5
... across Europe are embarking on new research to develop a ... million EU citizens and there is no cure," says Dr ... partner in the Food Allergy Specific Therapy (FAST) research project. ... foods to which they are allergic. The threat of severe ...
... Biology are pleased to announce that Dr Audrey ... of this year,s JEB Outstanding Paper Prize. The award ... Journal of Experimental Biology at http://jeb.biologists.org ., ... young scientist to an exceptional research paper. Dussutour was ...
... environmental threat has been detected in North American ... Along with scientists from several Canadian government ... by declining levels of calcium in many temperate, ... Queen,s PhD candidate Adam Jeziorski, lead author of ...
Cached Biology News:Scientists developing food allergy treatment 2French scientist wins the Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize 2French scientist wins the Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize 3Queen's University biologists find new environmental threat in North American lakes 2
(Date:6/19/2013)... , June 19, 2013  Continuing its long history ... (MI), Beckman Coulter , Inc. announces the U.S. ... new Access AccuTnI+3 troponin I assay for use on ... have depended on Beckman Coulter,s troponin I ... assay has the proven performance to continue providing dependability ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... Today DuPont Executive Vice President James ... in the greatest challenge facing our time – ensuring ... Borel spoke at the International Food and Agribusiness ... need for students to contribute their time and talents ... reached in collaboration with others. , “Food is one ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... (PRWEB) June 19, 2013 BioConvergence ... the speaking faculty at 2013’s BioLogistics Summit in ... conference, coordinated by Cold Chain IQ and IQPC, ... This “complexity” is, in part, attributed to current ... , “Implicit within these trends is an increase ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... (PRWEB) June 18, 2013 A new ... materials, costs and other trends will highlight technical sessions ... California this fall. In its 33rd year, the three-day ... an exhibition of key suppliers, approximately 100 technical presentations ... SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics , ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Beckman Coulter Announces FDA Clearance of New Access AccuTnI+3 Troponin I Assay for the Access 2 Immunoassay System 2Beckman Coulter Announces FDA Clearance of New Access AccuTnI+3 Troponin I Assay for the Access 2 Immunoassay System 3DuPont Leader Calls for New Generation of Food Visionaries to Fight Hunger 2BioConvergence® Presents at BioLogistics Summit on Risk Matrix for Biosamples during Shipment 2‘Big Glass’ and Visions for the Future are on the Program for SPIE Photomask Technology 2‘Big Glass’ and Visions for the Future are on the Program for SPIE Photomask Technology 3
... 2 GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK),announced today that Fountain ... a cash tender offer to purchase all,outstanding shares ... SIRT ) (Sirtris), for $22.50 in cash without ... offer is being made pursuant to a,previously announced ...
... P3(TM) Technology Raising the Bar in Motion Preservation, ... Technology,Inc., a leader in innovative medical devices, announced ... cervical total disc,replacement (TDR), NuNec Cervical Arthroplasty Device. ... Zou and Wenwen Wu in Beijing China, on,patients ...
... to $11.7 million, -- Quarterly Net Income Increases ... NEW YORK and HAIKOU, Hainan, China, May ... (OTC Bulletin Board: CPHI),which develops, manufactures, and markets ... its financial results,for the first quarter of 2008., ...
Cached Biology Technology:GlaxoSmithKline Commences Tender Offer to Acquire Sirtris Pharmaceuticals 2GlaxoSmithKline Commences Tender Offer to Acquire Sirtris Pharmaceuticals 3Pioneer(R) Surgical Technology Announces First Human Implants of its NuNec(TM) Cervical Arthroplasty Device 2China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 2China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 3China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 4China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 5China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 6China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 7China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 8China Pharma Holdings, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results 9
... Epithelial and endothelial cells-directed ... a RGD peptide-conjugated polyethylenimine which ... integrin-expressing epithelial and endothelial cells. ... in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion ...
... WinMelt software is used to ... any DNA sequence up to ... optimizing placement of primers and ... by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis ...
Request Info...
... Accurate To score SNPs, ... sequencing, the gold standard in DNA analysis. ... The polymorphic locus can be confirmed by ... DNA sequencing also provides sequence context information, ...
Biology Products: