TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ENVIRONMENT - Preferred Process: The process for removal of heavy metal involves growing actinomycete PTA 3422 in a medium containing carbon and nitrogen sources, and metal ions, between 20-45 degrees C and a pH of 7.5-11 for 1-4 days with constant shaking. The metal solution is incubated with a pre-grown biomass of actinomycete PTA 3422 at 15-50 degrees C at a pH of 3-11 for 10 minutes to 24 hours with shaking.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Carbon Source: The carbon source is a sugar (glucose, galactose and/or mannose), sugar alcohol (glycerol, mannitol and/or sorbitol) or starch. The metal chelating agent comprises ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Nitrogen Source: The nitrogen source is sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, peptone, yeast extract, casein or soybean meal.Preferred Metal ions: The metal ion is cobalt chloride, cupric chloride, potassium dichromate, nickel nitrate, lead nitrate and/or zinc sulfate.Preferred Heavy Metals: The heavy metal is cobalt, copper, chromium, nickel, lead, zinc, silver, cadmium, platinum and/or gold. The heavy metal is recovered from the biomass using dilute acids or salts or chelating agents. The dilute acid is hydrochloric acid, lactic acid, nitric acid or sulfuric acid. The salt is sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate or sodium sulfate. EXAMPLE - Actinomycete PTA 3422 was grown in a liquid alkaline Mikami medium for 24 hours. The biomass was filtered, washed thoroughly, suspended in deionized water, adjusted to pH of 3-8,mixed with nickel solution and incubated with shaking at 28 degrees C. After one hour, the biomass was filtered and washed thoroughly. After acid digestion of the biomass, the nickel content in the biomass was estimated using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The metal content in the biomass increased with increase in pH up to 7 and decreased with further increase of pH. 90% of the nickel was removed from the solution within one hour. Again the biomass was filtered, washed thoroughly and the nickel content in the biomass was estimated. The nickel in the biomass was recovered by incubating with an eluant for 2 hours with shaking. The recovery of nickel was between 50-98% depending upon the choice of the eluant. When the eluant used was water, 0.1 M sodium chloride, 0.1 M sodium carbonate, 0.1 M sodium sulfate, 0.1 M hydrochloric acid, 0.1 M magnesium sulfate, 0.1 M lactic acid or 0.1 M ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), the total nickel recovered (in mg) was 0.05, 0.675, 0.082, 0.746, 1.196, 0.743, 1.42 and 1.362 respectively and the percentage recovery was 3.42, 46.23, 5.62, 51.09, 81.92, 50.89, 97.26 and 93.29 respectively.