Scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Technology have discovered that widespread photosynthetic bacteria can interact with perfluorooctanoic acid, a highly resistant member of the PFAS family.
Researchers discovered that the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris pulls PFOA into its cell membrane, and its behavior changes over time.
This discovery provides early insight into how natural microorganisms may ultimately be induced or manipulated to reduce PFAS contamination, potentially aiding efforts to protect water quality and public health.
R. palustris can remove over 40% of PFAS from its surroundings
The researchers noted that during a controlled laboratory test, R. palustris removed approximately 44% of PFOA from its environment within 20 days.
Most of the absorbed chemicals later returned to the environment, presumably because the cells were broken apart. This result highlights both the utility and challenges of relying on photosynthetic bacteria to capture or modify PFAS.
“Although R. palustris did not completely degrade the chemical, our findings suggest a step-by-step mechanism by which the bacterium initially traps PFOA in its membranes,” the researchers explained.
“This gives us a foundation to explore future genetic or systems biology interventions that may improve retention or even enable biotransformation.”
Collaborate expertise to enhance research
The university’s Aich Lab provided specialized PFAS detection capabilities, allowing the team to track PFOA levels with high precision.
At the same time, Saha’s group conducted biological experiments to examine how bacteria respond to various PFAS concentrations.
“This kind of collaboration is exactly what is needed to address complex environmental challenges,” said Richard McNeil, associate professor at Aich.
“By integrating microbiology, chemical engineering, and environmental analytical science, we can get a more complete picture of how to use biological tools to tackle PFAS contamination.”
Expanding new approaches to tackle PFAS contamination
PFAS compounds remain a global problem because they persist for long periods in soil and water.
Existing treatments can be expensive and require large amounts of energy. Microbial strategies may offer a more adaptive and less resource-intensive path forward, but substantial scientific developments are still needed.
The project’s findings point in that direction, and the research team is already planning additional research focused on microbial engineering and synthetic biology to improve future degradation capabilities.
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