Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Combined with Infrared Spectroscopy as a Tool to Probe Single Bacterium Chemistry
Published on: September 15, 2020
Micro-Raman analysis and AFM imaging of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans biofilm grown on uranium ore
Nilotpala Pradhan1, Siddhartha K Pradhan, Bijan B Nayak
1Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar 751013, Orissa, India. nilotpala_pradhan@yahoo.co.in
Abstract:
Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans biofilm grown on uranium ore substrate was analyzed by a micro-Raman spectrometer and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The bacterium employed for this study, A. ferrooxidans BM1, was isolated from a uranium mine (Jaduguda, India). Micro-Raman analysis revealed the different constituents of molecular fragments present in microbial cells and in secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). AFM images clearly revealed bacterial cells surrounded by EPS. From Raman spectral data, the composition of EPS from A. ferrooxidans BM1 appeared to be similar to that of EPS secreted in a different Pseudomonas bacterium.
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
Microbial Leaching
Atomic Force Microscopy
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
Acid Mine Drainage
