Molecular Characterization of a Novel Heavy Metal Uptake Transporter from Higher Plants and its Potential for Use in Phytoremediation - Final Report

Heavy metal toxicity poses major environmental and health problems, and heavy metals are more difficult to remediate than chemical contaminants, which can be degraded by microorganisms. Cadmium and arsenic, for example, are non-essential heavy metals which are toxic to living cells at very low concentrations. Cd 2+ ions displace Ca2+ or Zn2+ in proteins and can cause oxidative stress, while arsenic also causes oxidative stress damage and is a well known carcinogen