Biotechnological microbial routes

The actinides (Th, Pa, U) are the three naturally occurring elements with the highest atomic masses. None of these three has a stable isotope, which makes Th and Pa rare elements in the Earth s crust and sea water. In contrast, the uranium concentration in sea water is 12.6 nM, present as U(VI) in an oxyanionic soluble form. This oxyanion may serve as an electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration in bacteria (Lovley et al. 1991, Payne et al. 2002, Holmes et al. 2002). The resulting U(IV) is insoluble and can be precipitated by microbial cells (Yong and Macaskie 1998), which in turn opens up a biotechnological route for the bioremediation of uranium-contaminated environments. 

S. Godbole, Studies on the production of microbial polyesters from wastes using biotechnological route. Ph.D. thesis, Nagpur University, Nagpur, 1996. 

Lactic acid can be produced by microbial fermentation or by chemical syntiiesis. The main biotechnological routes are based on biomass as a renewable source for production. 

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