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Bioaccumulation of copper by Trichoderma viride.
Purnima Anand1, Jasmine Isar, Saurabh Saran
1Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi, South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi 110 021, India.
Bioresource Technology
|December 6, 2005
Summary
Trichoderma viride effectively removes copper from solutions by bioaccumulating it, primarily on its cell walls. This copper tolerance mechanism is influenced by concentration, temperature, and pH.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Bioremediation
Background:
- Copper is a common environmental pollutant.
- Fungal species like Trichoderma viride can interact with heavy metals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between Trichoderma viride and copper.
- To understand the mechanism of copper tolerance and bioaccumulation in Trichoderma viride.
Main Methods:
- Culturing Trichoderma viride in the presence of varying copper concentrations.
- Measuring copper removal efficiency and biomass.
- Investigating the influence of temperature, pH, and metabolic inhibitors (sodium azide, 2,4-dinitrophenol).
- Utilizing electron microscopy and cell fractionation.
Main Results:
- Copper bioaccumulation was identified as a key mechanism for copper tolerance.
- Increased lag phase in growth was observed, dependent on copper concentration.
- At 100 mg/L CuCl2.2H2O, 81% of Cu(II) was removed by 3.4 g/L biomass in 72 hours.
- Optimal bioaccumulation occurred at 30°C and pH 5.0.
- Metabolic inhibitors significantly reduced copper bioaccumulation.
- 70-80% of accumulated copper was localized on the cell wall surface.
Conclusions:
- Trichoderma viride demonstrates significant copper bioaccumulation capacity.
- The process is biologically mediated and influenced by environmental factors.
- Cell wall deposition is the primary site for copper accumulation in this fungus.