Bioprecipitation

Bioprecipitation is the concept of rain-making bacteria and was proposed by David Sands from Montana State University in the 1970s.[1] This is precipitation that is beneficial for microbial and plant growth, it is a feedback cycle beginning with land plants generating small air-borne particles called aerosols that contain microorganisms that influence the formation of clouds by their ice nucleation properties. [2] The formation of ice in clouds is required for snow and most rainfall. Dust and soot particles can serve as ice nuclei, but biological ice nuclei are capable of catalyzing freezing at much warmer temperatures.[3] The ice-nucleating bacteria currently known are mostly plant pathogens. Recent research suggests that bacteria may be present in clouds as part of an evolved process of dispersal.[4]

Ice-nucleating proteins derived from ice-nucleating bacteria are used for snowmaking. A symbiotic relationship between sulphate reducing, lead reducing, sulphur oxidizing, and denitrifying bacteria was found to be responsible for biotransformation and bioprecipitation. [5]

  1. ^ Prasanth., M.; Nachimuthu, Ramesh; Gothandam, K. M; Kathikeyan, Sivamangala; Shanthini, T. (February 2015). "Pseudomonas Syringae: An Overview and its future as a "Rain Making Bacteria"" (PDF). International Research Journal of Biological Sciences. 4 (2): 70–77.
  2. ^ Morris, Cindy E., et al. “Bioprecipitation: A feedback cycle linking Earth history, ecosystem dynamics and land use through biological ice nucleators in the atmosphere.” Global Change Biology, vol. 20, no. 2, 2013, pp. 341–351, doi:10.1111/gcb.12447.
  3. ^ Brent Christner (28 February 2008). "LSU scientist finds evidence of 'rain-making' bacteria". American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  4. ^ Christine Dell'Amore (12 January 2009). "Rainmaking Bacteria Ride Clouds to "Colonize" Earth?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  5. ^ Cilliers, C., Neveling, O., Tichapondwa, S. M., Chirwa, E. M. N., & Brink, H. G. (2022). “Microbial pb(ii)-bioprecipitation: Characterising Responsible Biotransformation Mechanisms.” Journal of Cleaner Production, 374, 133973. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133973