Bacterial templated carbonate mineralization: insights from concave-type crystals induced by Curvibacter lanceolatus strain HJ-1

Abstract

The elucidation of carbonate crystal growth mechanisms contributes to a deeper comprehension of microbial-induced carbonate precipitation processes. In this research, the Curvibacter lanceolatus HJ-1 strain, well-known for its proficiency in inducing carbonate mineralization, was employed to trigger the formation of concave-type carbonate minerals. The study meticulously tracked the temporal alterations in the culture solution and conducted comprehensive analyses of the precipitated minerals' mineralogy and morphology using advanced techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and transmission electron microscopy. The findings unequivocally demonstrate that concave-type carbonate minerals are meticulously templated by bacterial biofilms and employ calcified bacteria as their fundamental structural components. The precise morphological evolution pathway can be delineated as follows: initiation with the formation of bacterial biofilms, followed by the aggregation of calcified bacterial clusters, ultimately leading to the emergence of concave-type minerals characterized by disc-shaped, sunflower-shaped, and spherical morphologies.