Transgenic plants exhibiting phytochelatin-based heavy metal tolerance and methods of use thereof for bioremediation are disclosed.

A method for removing iodine by using Deinococcus radiodurans having a gold nanoparticle synthesis ability is disclosed. More particularly, a method for removing radioactive iodine by adsorbing radioactive iodine onto gold nanoparticles synthesized in cells of Deinococcus radiodurans is disclosed. A recombinant microorganism having an enhanced radioactive iodine removal ability according to the present invention may selectively remove radioactive iodine present in various types of solutions at a high efficiency of 99% or higher, and thus may be very effective in removing radioactive iodine generated in large-scale hospitals, industries, nuclear facility accidents, and the like.

The present invention relates to a method of producing metal nanoparticles and metal sulfide nanoparticles using a recombinant microorganism co-expressing metallothionein and phytochelatin synthase, which are heavy metal-adsorbing proteins, and to the use of metal nanoparticles and metal sulfide nanoparticles synthesized by the method. The present invention provides a method for synthesizing metal nanoparticles which have been difficult to synthesize by conventional biological methods. The present invention makes it possible to synthesize metal nanoparticles in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner, and also makes it possible to synthesize metal sulfide nanoparticles. In addition, even metal nanoparticles which could have been produced by conventional chemical or biological methods are produced in a significantly increased yield by use of the method of the present invention.

Provided are: a plant cell, in which expression or activity of a phytochelatin synthase (PCS) gene or a protein encoded by the PCS gene is reduced as compared with a parent cell; a plant having that has reduced heavy metal absorption, and includes the plant cell; a method of reducing heavy metals in a plant, the method including reducing expression or activity of a PCS gene or a protein encoded by the PCS gene, as compared with a parent cell; a CRISPR-Cas9 recombinant vector including a single guide RNA targeting a PCS gene; and a method of preparing a plant with reduced heavy metals, the method including transforming a plant cell with the recombinant vector.

A method for removing iodine by using Deinococcus radiodurans having a gold nanoparticle synthesis ability is disclosed. More particularly, a method for removing radioactive iodine by adsorbing radioactive iodine onto gold nanoparticles synthesized in cells of Deinococcus radiodurans is disclosed. A recombinant microorganism having an enhanced radioactive iodine removal ability according to the present invention may selectively remove radioactive iodine present in various types of solutions at a high efficiency of 99% or higher, and thus may be very effective in removing radioactive iodine generated in large-scale hospitals, industries, nuclear facility accidents, and the like.

Transgenic plants exhibiting phytochelatin-based heavy metal tolerance and methods of use thereof for bioremediation are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method of producing metal nanoparticles and metal sulfide nanoparticles using a recombinant microorganism co-expressing metallothionein and phytochelatin synthase, which are heavy metal-adsorbing proteins, and to the use of metal nanoparticles and metal sulfide nanoparticles synthesized by the method. The present invention provides a method for synthesizing metal nanoparticles which have been difficult to synthesize by conventional biological methods. The present invention makes it possible to synthesize metal nanoparticles in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner, and also makes it possible to synthesize metal sulfide nanoparticles. In addition, even metal nanoparticles which could have been produced by conventional chemical or biological methods are produced in a significantly increased yield by use of the method of the present invention.

Provided are: a plant cell, in which expression or activity of a phytochelatin synthase (PCS) gene or a protein encoded by the PCS gene is reduced as compared with a parent cell; a plant having that has reduced heavy metal absorption, and includes the plant cell; a method of reducing heavy metals in a plant, the method including reducing expression or activity of a PCS gene or a protein encoded by the PCS gene, as compared with a parent cell; a CRISPR-Cas9 recombinant vector including a single guide RNA targeting a PCS gene; and a method of preparing a plant with reduced heavy metals, the method including transforming a plant cell with the recombinant vector.

The present invention relates to a genetically modified rice plant or plant cell, comprising a heterologous heavy metal ATPase gene operably linked to an OsActin1 promoter: a heterologous ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene operably linked to an OsActin1 promoter, and a heterologous phytochelatin synthase gene operably linked to an OsActin1 promoter, wherein the OsActin1 promoter has low activity in a seed endosperm of the modified rice plant compared to its activity in other vegetative tissues of the modified rice plant; wherein a rice grain of said genetically modified rice plant has reduced arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) compared to a control rice plant that has not undergone said genetic modification. The present invention also relates to a method of creating such a genetically modified rice plant or plant cell, and a kit for doing so.