[Minireview:] Geomycology: metals, actinides and biominerals
- Author:
- Gadd G.M., Rhee Y.J., Stephenson K. & Wei Z.
- Year:
- 2012
- Journal:
- Environmental Microbiology Reports
- Pages:
- 4(3): 270–296
- Url:
Summary: Geomycology can be simply defined as ‘the scientific
study of the roles of fungi in processes of fundamental
importance to geology’and the biogeochemical importance
of fungi is significant in several key areas. These
include nutrient and element cycling, rock and mineral
transformations, bioweathering, mycogenic biomineral
formation and interactions of fungi with clay minerals
and metals. Such processes can occur in aquatic
and terrestrial habitats, but it is in the terrestrial environment
where fungi probably have the greatest
geochemical influence. Of special significance are the
mutualistic relationships with phototrophic organisms,
lichens (algae, cyanobacteria) and mycorrhizas
(plants). Central to many geomycological processes
are transformations of metals and minerals, and fungi
possess a variety of properties that can effect changes
in metal speciation, toxicity and mobility, as well as
mineral formation or mineral dissolution or deterioration.
Some fungal transformations have beneficial
applications in environmental biotechnology, e.g. in
metal and radionuclide leaching, recovery, detoxification
and bioremediation, and in the production or
deposition of biominerals or metallic elements with
catalytic or other properties. Metal and mineral transformations
may also result in adverse effects when
these processes result in spoilage and destruction of
natural and synthetic materials, rock and mineralbased
building materials (e.g. concrete), acid mine
drainage and associated metal pollution, biocorrosion
of metals, alloys and related substances, and adverse
effects on radionuclide speciation, mobility and containment.
The ubiquity and importance of fungi in
biosphere processes underlines the importance of
geomycology as an interdisciplinary subject area
within microbiology and mycology.
- Id:
- 22813
- Submitter:
- zdenek
- Post_time:
- Thursday, 11 April 2013 10:41