11/06/2002

The Sequence of Bioremediation Microbe Shewanella oneidensis Published

Summary

The November 2002 issue of Nature Biotechnology includes the publication of the complete 4.9 million base pair, 4,758 predicted gene containing, sequence of the genome of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. This non-pathogenic microbe displays astonishing metabolic diversity and versatility, having the ability to use more than ten different elements (among them iron, manganese, sulfur, oxygen, chromium and uranium) to generate energy and in the process modifying both the chemical form and subsequent environmental behavior. Shewanella renders uranium immobile in sediments and could prevent leaching into nearby rivers. Continued research on the microbe is underway to explore the potential for bioremediation of DOE legacy wastes.