(1) Herchel Smith Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry, University Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 2PZ, UK;(2) School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
Abstract:
Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to visualise polyurethane foam-immobilised Citrobacter after challenging with La3+ and/or Cu2+ in citrate buffer supplemented with glycerol 2-phosphate. Extensive phosphatase-mediated bioaccumulation of LaPO4 was observed but no evidence for deposition of Cu3(PO4)2 was obtained by X-ray diffraction and proton-induced X-ray emission analyses. Image analysis showed that La3+/Cu2+ is a good model system to study the function of this biofilm reactor non-invasively by MRI.