Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Studying Copper Nanoparticle-Induced Programmed Cell Death in Bacteria
Published on: May 16, 2025
Copper toxicity to cyanobacteria and its dependence on extracellular ligand concentration and degradation
1Department of Botany, The University of Liverpool, L69 3BX, Liverpool, UK.
Abstract:
Copper toxicity to the cyanobacteriumPlectonema boryanum (UTEX 594) has been investigated in the presence of citrate and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) using a copper-saturated culture medium. The coppercitrate complex was biodegradable, and toxicity was dependent on the free ligand concentration. The ratio of citrate to copper also affected the extent of metal toxicity. NTA was not degraded byP. boryanum. Ligand degradation in the cyanobacterial culture increased the ionic copper concentration and caused a concomitant reduction in growth. The ecological implications of these findings are discussed.
More Related Videos
11:04Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
Published on: September 7, 2019
14:44Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR
Published on: December 16, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Microbial Leaching
Ladder Diagrams: Complexation Equilibria
The formation constant, K1, for the formation of Cd(NH3)2+ complex from cadmium and ammonia is 3.55 × 102. Log K1 (i.e. pNH3) is 2.55, and...
Formation of Complex Ions
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Bacterial Phylum Cyanobacteria