Isolation of novel thermophilic bacteria and thermostable enzymes responsible for the bioreduction of platinum (IV) to elemental platinum

摘要

The present invention relates to newly discovered, novel strains of thermophilic Geobacillus bacteria isolated from the Northam Platinum Mine (NPM) in South Africa. The present invention further relates to the isolation and characterization of novel thermostable enzymes responsible for the bioreduction of Pt (IV) to elemental Pt. The present invention also extends to the use of the isolated enzymes in the bioreduction of Pt (IV) to elemental Pt and in the microbial transformation of Pt (IV) to platinum nanoparticles. The invention further extends to a process for the bioremediation, or at least partial remediation, of a site contaminated with a source of Pt (IV).