Indawo yokubilisa ye-5900 degrees Celsius kunye nobunzima obufana nedayimani ngokudibanisa nekhabhoni: i-tungsten yintsimbi enzima kakhulu, kodwa inemisebenzi ye-biological-ingakumbi kwii-microorganisms ezithanda ukushisa. Iqela elikhokelwa nguTetyana Milojevic kwi-Faculty of Chemistry kwiYunivesithi yaseVienna ingxelo okokuqala ngqa i-microbial-tungsten interactions kwi-nanometer range. Ngokusekwe kwezi zinto zifunyanisiweyo, hayi kuphela i-tungsten biogeochemistry, kodwa kunye nokuphila kwe-microorganisms kwiimeko zangaphandle kunokuphandwa. Iziphumo zivele kutshanje kwiphephancwadi iFrontiers in Microbiology.

Njengentsimbi eqinileyo nenqabileyo, i-tungsten, eneempawu zayo ezingaqhelekanga kunye neyona ndawo iphakamileyo yokunyibilika kuzo zonke iintsimbi, lukhetho olungenakwenzeka kakhulu kwinkqubo yebhayoloji. Kuphela ii-microorganisms ezimbalwa, ezifana ne-thermophilic archaea okanye i-cell nucleus-free microorganisms, ziye zaqhelana neemeko ezigqithisileyo zendalo ye-tungsten kwaye zifumene indlela yokulinganisa i-tungsten. Izifundo ezibini zamva nje ze-biochemist kunye ne-astrobiologist uTetyana Milojevic ovela kwiSebe le-Biophysical Chemistry, iFaculty of Chemistry kwiYunivesithi yaseVienna, zikhanyise ngendima enokwenzeka ye-microorganisms kwindawo etyetyisiweyo ye-tungsten kwaye ichaza i-nanoscale tungsten-microbial interface ye-extreme. Ubushushu kunye ne-acid-othanda microorganism i-Metallosphaera sedula ekhuliswe ngeekhompawundi ze-tungsten (Amanani 1, 2). Ikwayile microorganism eya kuvavanywa ukusinda ngexesha lokuhamba kwe-interstellar kwizifundo ezizayo kwindawo yangaphandle. I-Tungsten inokuba yinto ebalulekileyo kule nto.

Ukusuka kwi-tungsten polyoxometalates njengesakhelo esigcina ubomi kwindalo ukuya kwi-microbial bioprocessing ye-tungsten ores

Ngokufana neeseli ze-ferrous sulfide mineral, i-polyoxometalates eyenziweyo (i-POMs) ithathwa njengeeseli ze-inorganic ekuququzeleleni iinkqubo zeekhemikhali zangaphambili kunye nokubonisa iimpawu "ezifana nobomi". Nangona kunjalo, ukufaneleka kwee-POM kwiinkqubo zokulondoloza ubomi (umz., i-microbial respiration) ayikaqwalaselwa. "Ukusebenzisa umzekelo we-Metallosphaera sedula, ekhula kwi-asidi eshushu kwaye iphefumle nge-oxidation yensimbi, siye saphanda ukuba iinkqubo eziyinkimbinkimbi ze-inorganic ezisekelwe kumaqela e-tungsten e-POM zinokugcina ukukhula kwe-M. sedula kunye nokuvelisa ukwanda kwamaselula kunye nokwahlula," kusho uMilojevic.

Iingcali zenzululwazi ziye zakwazi ukubonisa ukuba ukusetyenziswa kwe-tungsten-based based Clusters ye-POM yenza ukuba kufakwe iindidi ze-tungsten redox kwiiseli ezincinci. Iidiphozithi ze-organometallic kunxibelelwano phakathi kwe-M. sedula kunye ne-W-POM ziye zanyibilika zaya kutsho kuluhlu lwenanometer ngexesha lentsebenziswano eneziqhamo neZiko laseAustria le-Electron Microscopy kunye neNanoanalysis (FELMI-ZFE, Graz). Iziphumo zethu zongeza i-tungsten-encrusted M. sedula kwiirekhodi ezikhulayo zeentlobo ze-biomineralized microbial, phakathi kwazo i-archaea inqabile ukumelwa, "kusho uMilojevic. I-biotransformation ye-tungsten mineral scheelite eyenziwa yi-thermoacidophile egqithisileyo M. sedula ikhokelela ekuqhekekeni kwesakhiwo se-scheelite, i-solubilization elandelayo ye-tungsten, kunye ne-tungsten mineralization ye-microbial cell surface (Umfanekiso 3). I-biogenic tungsten carbide-like nanostructures echazwe kuphononongo imele i-nanomaterial enokuthi igcineke efunyenwe yindalo encediswa yi-microbial-assisted design.