Uranium is a dangerous environmental pollutant with potent toxological effects. When a cell senses uranium, it elicits a strong response in order to cope with the damage. We aim to understand the uranium sensory mechanism and response in Caulobacter crescentus, a bacterium that has the unusual quality of being exceptionally resistant to uranium stress. It is known that exposure to uranium activates a unique pattern of gene expression that is quite different from the response to other heavy metals. This suggests that there is a uranium-specific sensory mechanism, but the molecular components are as yet unknown.

Leaking barrels of depleted uranium Portsmouth, OH

Large caliber depleted uranium ammunition,
as used in Yugoslavia and Iraq