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The present study investigated biosorption of Pb (II) and Zn (II) using a heavy metal tolerant bacterium Oceanobacillus profundus KBZ 3-2 isolated from a contaminated site. The effects of process parameters such as effect on bacterial growth, pH and initial lead ion concentration were studied. The results showed that the maximum removal percentage for Pb (II) was 97% at an initial concentration of 50 mg/L whereas maximum removal percentage for Zn (II) was at 54% at an initial concentration of 2 mg/L obtained at pH 6 and 30 °C. The isolated bacteria were found to sequester both Pb (II) and Zn (II) in the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The EPS facilitates ion exchange and metal chelation-complexation by virtue of the existence of ionizable functional groups such as carboxyl, sulfate, and phosphate present in the protein and polysaccharides. Therefore, the use of indigenous bacteria in the remediation of contaminated water is an eco-friendly way of solving anthropogenic contamination.

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Biomineralization is a process of mineral formation in living organisms. Compared with nonbiogenic minerals, biominerals can be defined as organic−inorganic hybrid materials that have excellent physical and optical properties. In the current study, an artificial protein mimicking the outer shell of crayfish, composed of CaCO 3 , chitin, and proteins, was developed to facilitate organic−inorganic hybrid material formation by precipitation of calcium carbonate on the chitin matrix. The fusion protein (CaBP-ChBD) was constructed by introducing a shortsequence calcite-binding peptide (CaBP) into the chitin-binding domain (ChBD). Calcium carbonate precipitation experiments by enzymatic urea hydrolysis revealed that a significant increase in the CaCO 3 formation was achieved by adding CaBP-ChBD. Also, CaCO 3 was efficiently deposited on chitin particles decorated with CaBP-ChBD. Most interestingly, CaBP-ChBD would improve the performance in sand solidification more efficiently and sustainably in the process of biocementation technique. The developed recombinant protein could be used for the sustainable production of organic−inorganic green materials for engineering applications.

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