"Extracellular Electron Shuttle-Mediated Biodegradation
of Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine"

Man Jae Kwon

Advisor: Dr. Kevin Finneran

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Bioremediation is one suggested technology for hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), as well as alternate explosive contaminants. We have investigated the potential of extracellular electron shuttling compounds (EES) to mediate electron transfer between iron (hydr)oxides and Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms for decontaminating RDX. We demonstrated that Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms utilize EES to stimulate RDX reduction. Further, we found an enhancement in the production of desirable intermediate and mineralization compounds in the presence of EES. The research currently extends to RDX reduction by reactive minerals (e.g., magnetite), alternative EES (e.g., mulch extracts and military smoke dyes), and a novel species from RDX-contaminated aquifer material. The ultimate goal of this study is to develop the technology to monitor and manipulate microbial communities for sustainable management of environmental resources.

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