Ut-battelle, Inc.

U.S. Geological Survey

David E Graham

Ilia N Ivanov

Beth Louise Armstrong

Timothy Eric McKnight

Tommy Joe Phelps

Pooran Chandra Joshi

Linda Lewis

Ronald S Oremland

Michelle K Kidder

Ji Won Moon

Gyoung Gug Jang

Christopher B Jacobs

Samuel A Lewis

Robert F Standaert

A capsule composition comprising: (a) a polyester shell having a thickness of no more than 20 microns, and (b) a solution containing a visual and/or olfactory indicator, wherein the solution is encapsulated by the polyester shell. Also described herein is a method for detecting alpha particle radiation, in which: (i) the capsule composition is placed in contact with an esterase in a location where the presence of alpha particle radiation is being determined; (ii) waiting a period of time for the esterase to degrade the polyester shells, wherein the period of time is insufficient for the esterase to cause leakage of the solution in the absence of alpha particle radiation but is sufficient for alpha particle radiation, if present, to cause leakage from the capsule composition; and (iii) observing whether leakage has occurred at the end of the period of time to determine whether alpha particle radiation is present.

Composition for detecting alpha particle radiation and methods of use

A method for producing metal chalcogenide nanoparticles, the method comprising: (i) producing hydrogen chalcogenide-containing vapor from a microbial source, wherein said microbial source comprises: (a) chalcogen-reducing microbes capable of producing hydrogen chalcogenide vapor from a chalcogen-containing source; (b) a culture medium suitable for sustaining said chalcogen-reducing microbes; (c) at least one chalcogen-containing compound that can be converted to hydrogen chalcogenide vapor by said chalcogen-reducing microbes; and (d) at least one nutritive compound that provides donatable electrons to said chalcogen-reducing microbes during consumption of the nutritive compound by said chalcogen-reducing microbes; and (ii) directing said hydrogen chalcogenide-containing vapor into a metal-containing solution comprising a metal salt dissolved in a solvent to produce metal chalcogenide nanoparticles in said solution, wherein said chalcogen is sulfur or selenium, and said chalcogenide is sulfide or selenide, respectively. The invention is also directed to metal chalcogenide nanoparticle compositions produced as above and having distinctive properties.

Microbially-mediated method for synthesis of metal chalcogenide nanoparticles

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

David E Graham