Characterization of Selenate Reducing Bacteria

While selenium is an element required in the diet of many species, it is toxic at high concentrations for many diverse species, including species of plants, bacteria, and animals. Selenium is commonly found in the form of selenate and selenite, which easily dissolve in water. Bacteria with the ability to reduce selenate to selenium have been collected from a local waste processing plant and isolated using streak plates with selenate-containing TSA media. Isolates were identified as having this activity by their generation of a pink or red color caused by the presence of elemental selenium. Four isolates have been Gram stained: One is a Gram-positive bacillus; the remaining three are Gram-negative bacillus. The isolates proteins have been extracted using the reagent B-PER , produced by Thermo Scientific. The enzymes responsible for selenate reduction can be separated from the rest of the protein by gel electrophoresis, which will allow future research in the ideal conditions and enzymes for improvement of biofilters that exploit the ability of bacteria to remove selenium