a. macleodii genes such as phase integrases and the crispr cluster found in some a. macleodii strains are likely involved in phage interactions. some genomic islands encode specific surface receptors recognised by phages, increasing the susceptibility to phage infections. some components of gis are lysogenic or defective phages; one of these widespread gis encodes virus-derived mismatch repair and rna chaperone genes. for example, the o-chain lipopolysaccharides of the bacteria may associate with the receptor binding proteins present on the alterophage r8w, allowing attachment and entry. just over a dozen alterophages infecting a. macleodii have been characterised to date, including members of the podoviridae and autographiviridae. industrial uses reduction of potassium tellurite to elemental tellurium elemental tellurium is an extremely rare metalloid contained in the earth's crust with desirable optic and electronic properties. however, current industrial production of tellurium requires the usage of substances harmful to both humans and the environment. as a result, extraction of metalloids by biotechnological applications involving bacterial biosynthesis of nanoparticles from various uncommon and rare metals are increasingly being studied. tellurium has toxic effects on bacteria through an unknown mechanism. alteromonas macleodii contains a plasmid that houses genes allowing for resistance to multiple metals, and has the ability to reduce potassium tellurite into elemental tellurium. the nanoparticles of the reduced tellurium are diffused into the cytoplasm, or into the extracellular space in the form of both electron-dense globules and metalloid crystals. this makes a. macleodii a candidate for facilitating the extraction of tellurium with reduced reliance on toxic chemicals. extraction of biomolecules from red seaweeds membrane vesicles containing κ-carrageenase are produced by a. macleodii, which allows it to degrade carrageenan, a major polysaccharide found in the cell walls of red seaweeds. the κ-carrageenase containing vesicles can be exploited for bioethanol production since they convert carbohydrate-rich biomass to sugars. biomolecules present in the red seaweeds, such as vitamins and carotenoids, are also extracted for commercial use in tandem with the bioethanol production process. eps deepsane usage in cosmetics alteromonas macleodii secretes "deepsane", an exopolysaccharide now used in cosmetics. studied properties of "deepsane" include high viscosity possibly due to the interaction between acetate and pyruvate, making it an alternative to other viscous polymers currently used in food and cosmetics. as of 2012, "deepsane" is also commercially available in the cosmetics industry and is referred to as abyssine®, used in skincare products to reduce skin irritation from sunburns. additional future prospects in water treatments alteromonas macleodii, when grown in glucose-supplemented media, secreted an unexpectedly high-molecular-weight polymer that changed carbohydrate composition. the polymer was found to be rich in uronic acids and therefore expected to have a heavy-metal-binding ability that could be used and applied in the treatment of wastewater.