The cells of acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria (Thiobacillus ferrooxidans) were immobilized using five kinds of polymers (photo-crosslinkable resin, agar, calcium alginate, ic-carrageenan, and gelrite) as gel matrix, and the characteristics of cell immobilization were revealed. Among these gels, gelrite showed promise for application in iron oxidation under strongly acidic conditions. In continuous cultures of iron-oxidizing bacteria immobilized in gelrite beads, a steady state of strong iron oxidation was maintained for a month. The thick layer of iron-oxide precipitates was formed around reddish-brown "activated beads" that harbored a large number of iron-oxidizing bacteria and were the sources of cells living in the liquid phase.Acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria (Thiobacillus ferrooxidans) can be applied to the improvement of acid mine waters, a serious acid pollutant of the environment, from pyritic mine area (6, 7). In the neutralizing system of acid mine water, the bacteria work as a biocatalyst to oxidize ferrous to ferric iron in the water; next, the ferric iron formed is neutralized by the addition of calcium carbonate (9). At the step of iron oxidation in such a system, a high density of cells of iron-oxidizing bacteria is essential for rapid iron oxidation.Immobilization technology of various kinds of enzymes and cells has rapidly developed and been used as an effective biocatalyst for various applications (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)8). Immobilization of whole cells is characterized by stable maintenance of an extremely high density of living cells in and/or on the immobilized gel matrices. Therefore, immobilized cells are available effectively over a longer period in the systems having a small number of free living cells.Little information exists on the immobilization of iron-oxidizing bacterial cells. In the present study, we tried to assess the potential capacity of some kinds of * Address
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