Investigation of metal sorption behavior of Slp1 from Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53: a combined study using QCM-D, ICP-MS and AFM

Surface layer proteins (S-layer) of Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53 are biological compounds with several bio-based technical applications such as biosorptive materials for metal removal or rare metals recovery from the environment. Despite their well-described applications, a deeper understanding of their metal sorption behavior still remains challenging. The metal sorption ability of Au3+, Pd2+, Pt2+ and Eu3+ was investigated by ICP-MS, AFM and QCM-D which enables the sorption detection in real-time during in situ experiments. Results indicate a high binding of Pd, followed by Au, Eu and Pt to the proteins. The comparison between different methods allowed a deeper understanding of the metal sorption of isolated S-layer either frees in liquid, adsorbed forming a protein layer or as the bacteria surface.