Isolation and screening of native ureolytic bacteria that induce calcium carbonate precipitation for prospective use...

Microbiological induced calcite precipitation (MICP) was evaluated through the isolation, characterization, and selection of ureolytic bacteria with potential application in cement-based materials. A total of 50 bacterial strains, including newly isolated and previously reported isolates, were screened in a two-phase selection process based on urease activity and calcium carbonate precipitation efficiency. Ureolytic bacteria were isolated from cement-based materials collected from five locations in Colombia, and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, revealing representatives of the genera Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Glutamicibacter, Rhodococcus, Psychrobacillus, and Chungangia. Notably, Glutamicibacter and Chungangia are reported for the first time as calcite-precipitating bacteria in the context of cement-based materials. Eleven strains precipitated more than 99.7% of the supplied calcium (≈ 25 mM) within 24 h in urea-Ca(NO₃)₂ medium. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed calcite as the predominant calcium carbonate polymorph in all preselected isolates. Comparative evaluation of ammonium production, pH increase, and biomass formation demonstrated strong strain-dependent metabolic responses. A quantitative ranking approach based on normalized urease activity and precipitation efficiency enabled the selection of four candidate strains representing distinct genera. Glutamicibacter arilaitensis M3C3 and Psychrobacillus psychrodurans S17 exhibited the highest urease activity and ammonium production, whereas Arthrobacter crystallopoietes M4C20 and Rhodococcus qingshengii S1 achieved complete calcium precipitation with markedly lower urease activity. These results highlight the metabolic diversity of ureolytic bacteria associated with cement-based materials and identify novel native strains with contrasting biomineralization strategies. The selected isolates represent promising candidates for further evaluation in biocementation and self-healing applications, particularly where rapid precipitation and reduced ammonium release are desirable.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04771-6.