Fossil bacteria

Many mineral species are known to be selectively crystallized by the presence of bacteria. Carbonate minerals, such as calcite, aragonite, hydroxycalcite, and siderite oxide minerals, such as magnetite and todorokite oxalate minerals, such as whewellite and weddellite sulfide minerals, such as pyrite, sphalerite, wurtzite, greigite, and mackinawite and other minerals, such as jarosite, iron-jarosite, and g3q>sum, are known to precipitate in the presence of bacteria. Therefore, investigations have been developed to analyze the formation of banded iron ore by the action of bacteria, and to analyze the ancient environmental conditions of the Earth through the study of fossilized bacteria. 

Awramik, S.M., Schopf, J.W., Walter, M.R. (1988). Carbonaceous filaments from North Pole, Western Australia. Are they fossil bacteria or ancient stromatolites A discussion. Pre-Cambrian Research, 39, 303-309. 

Awramik S. M., Schopf J. W., and Walter M. R. (1983) Filamentous fossil bacteria from the Archean of Western Australia. Precamb. Res. 20, 357-374. 

Westall F., de Wit M. J., Dann J., van der Gaast S., de Ronde C. E. J., and Gemeke D. (2001) Early Archean fossil bacteria and biofilms in hydrothermally-influenced sediments from the Barberton greenstone belt. South Africa. Precamb. Res. 106, 93-116. 

Provencio, P.P. and Polyak, V.J. 2001, Iron Oxide Rich Filaments Possible Fossil Bacteria in Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico, GeomicrobiolJ, in press. 

Westall, F., 1999, The nature of fossil bacteria. A guide to the search for extraterrestrial life, J Geophys Res, 104 (E7) 16437-16451. 

Bacterial sulfate reduction has been invoked as a factor in the formation of ancient mineral deposits and it is relevant to enquire how long sulfate-reducing bacteria have functioned on earth. Because of the structural delicacy of microorganisms, they seldom leave recognisable traces of their existence, and positive identification of fossilized bacteria is extremely difficult. 

A dog killed in Nakhla, Egypt, in 1911 is reported to be the only known casualty of a Martian meteorite. In 1984, a meteorite of Martian origin (ALH84001) was discovered in Antarctica and contained what looked like fossil bacteria. The evidence remains inconclusive and controversial. 

Particles suspended in air or water Ions in solution in the water cycle BIOGEORAM AN Biominerals, biomolecules, pharmaceuticals (fossils, bacteria, lichens, diseases, teeth, stones, implants, medicines, excipients, coatings) Micropalaeontology Biominerals and biomolecules... 

Selifonov SA, PJ Chapman, SB Akkerman, JE Gurst, JM Bortiatynski, MA Nanny, PG Hatcher (1998) Use of nuclear magnetic resonance to assess fossil fuel biodegradation fate of [l- C]acenaphthene in creosote polycyclic aromatic compound mixtures degraded by bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 64 1447-1453. 

The selected biocatalyst is any of the already described alternatives based on R. rhodochrous bacteria ATCC No. 53968. Its concentration or proportion to the fossil fuel feedstock was neither reported nor claimed only a slight comment is made on the proportion between the crude oil and the biocatalytic aqueous solution, which states that it will not exceed one half the total incubation volumes. In addition, an additional amount of water, enough for desalting, is simultaneously added with the biocatalytic solution. The process is carried out by feeding the crude oil and water into a CSTR reaction vessel and stirred until an emulsion is formed. The mixture is incubated under stirring at temperature and pressure conditions, for a period of time adequate for both to occur, desalting and desulfurization. 

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