Scientists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering have found that a widespread photosynthetic bacterium can interact with perfluorooctanoic acid, a highly resistant member of the PFAS family.
The researchers discovered that the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, draws PFOA into its cell membrane – a behaviour that changes over time.
This discovery offers an early look at how natural microbes might eventually be guided or engineered to help reduce PFAS pollution, potentially supporting efforts to protect water quality and public health.
R. palustris can remove over 40% of PFAS from its surroundings
During controlled lab tests, the researchers noted that R. palustris removed about 44% of PFOA from its surroundings within 20 days.
The majority of the absorbed chemicals later returned to the environment, most likely because the cells broke apart – a result that underscores both the usefulness and the challenges of relying on a photosynthetic bacterium to capture or alter PFAS.
“While R. palustris didn’t completely degrade the chemical, our findings suggest a stepwise mechanism where the bacterium may initially trap PFOA in its membranes,” the researchers explained.
“This gives us a foundation to explore future genetic or systems biology interventions that could improve retention or even enable biotransformation.”
Strengthening the research with collaborative expertise
The university’s Aich Lab provided specialised PFAS detection capabilities, enabling the team to track PFOA levels with high accuracy.
At the same time, Saha’s group conducted biological experiments to examine how the bacterium responded to varying PFAS concentrations.
“This kind of collaboration is exactly what’s needed to address complex environmental challenges,” said Richard McNeel, Associate Professor at Aich.
“By bringing together microbiology, chemical engineering, and environmental analytical science, we’re gaining a more complete picture of how to tackle PFAS pollution with biological tools.”
Scaling up new approaches to tackle PFAS pollution
PFAS compounds remain a worldwide issue because they persist in soil and water for long periods.
Existing treatments can be expensive and require significant energy. Microbial strategies may offer a more adaptable, less resource-intensive path forward, though substantial scientific development remains needed.
The findings from this project point toward that direction, and the research teams are already planning additional studies focused on microbial engineering and synthetic biology to improve future degradation capabilities.
