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The use of bacterial cells to produce fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots, QDs) represents a green alternative with promising economic potential. In the present work, we report for the first time the biosynthesis of CdS QDs by acidophilic bacteria of the Acidithiobacillus genus. CdS QDs were obtained by exposing A. ferrooxidans, A. thiooxidans and A. caldus cells to sublethal Cd 2+ concentrations in the presence of cysteine and glutathione. The fluorescence of cadmium-exposed cells moves from green to red with incubation time, a characteristic property of QDs associated with nanocrystals growth. Biosynthesized nanoparticles (NPs) display an absorption peak at 360nm and a broad emission spectra between 450 and 650nm when excited at 370nm, both characteristic of CdS QDs. Average sizes of 6 and 10nm were determined for green and red NPs, respectively. The importance of cysteine and glutathione on QDs biosynthesis in Acidithiobacillus was related with the generation of H 2 S. Interestingly, QDs produced by acidophilic bacteria display high tolerance to acidic pH. Absorbance and fluorescence properties of QDs was not affected at pH 2.0, a condition that totally inhibits the fluorescence of QDs produced chemically or biosynthesized by mesophilic bacteria (stable until pH 4.5-5.0). Results presented here constitute the first report of the generation of QDs with improved properties by using extremophile microorganisms., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bacterial biosynthesis of nanoparticles represents a green alternative for the production of nanostructures with novel properties. Recently, the importance of antioxidant molecules on the biosynthesis of semiconductor fluorescent nanoparticles (quantum dots, QDs) by mesophilic bacteria was reported. The objective of this work was the isolation of psychrotolerant, oxidative stress-resistant bacteria from Antarctica to determine their ability for biosynthesizing CdS QDs at low temperatures. QDs biosynthesis at 15 °C was evaluated by determining their spectroscopic properties after exposing oxidative-stress resistant isolates identified as Pseudomonas spp. to Cd(2+) salts. To characterize the QDs biosynthetic process, the effect of metal exposure on bacterial fluorescence was determined at different times. Time-dependent changes in fluorescence color (green to red), characteristic of QDs, were observed. Electron microscopy analysis of fluorescent cells revealed that biosynthesized nanometric structures localize at the cell periphery. QDs were purified from the bacterial isolates and their fluorescence properties were characterized. Emission spectra displayed classical CdS peaks when excited with UV light. Thiol content, peroxidase activity, lipopolysaccharide synthesis, metabolic profiles and sulfide generation were determined in QDs-producing isolates. No relationship between QDs production and cellular thiol content or peroxidase activity was found. However, sulfide production enhanced CdS QDs biosynthesis. In this work, the use of Antarctic psychrotolerant Pseudomonas spp. for QDs biosynthesis at low temperature is reported for the first time., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)