Radiation-resistant bacteria and their application to metal and radionuclides bioremediation

Microorganisms have a number of applications in the nuclear industry, which would benefit from the use of radiation-resistant microorganisms. Environmentally isolated bacteria have shown to be resistant to gamma irradiation up to a dose of 30,000 Gy. It has also been reported that the presence of ionizing radiation may induce radio-resistance in bacteria. Recent demonstrations of the removal and immobilization of inorganic contaminants by microbial transformations, sorption and mineralization show the potential of both natural and engineered microorganisms as bioremedial tools. This review is to provide an overview of the application of radiation-resistant bacteria to decontamination of metal and radionuclide. (authors)