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Biomining Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects and Applications in Biotechnology and Bioremediation

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Advances in Applied Bioremediation

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 17))

Abstract

The microbial solubilization of metals using chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms has successfully been used in industrial processes called biomining to extract metals such as copper, gold, uranium and others. The most studied leaching bacteria are from the genus Acidithiobacillus belonging to the Gram-negative γ-proteobacteria. Acidithiobacillus spp. obtain their energy from the oxidation of ferrous iron, elemental sulfur, or partially oxidized sulfur compounds. Other thermophilic archaeons capable of oxidizing sulfur and iron (II) have also been known for many years, and they are mainly from the genera Sulfolobus, Acidianus, Metallosphaera and Sulfurisphaera. Recently, some mesophilic iron (II)-oxidizing archaeons such as Ferroplasma acidiphilium and F. acidarmanus belonging to the Thermoplasmales have also been isolated and characterized. Recent studies of microorganisms consider them in their consortia, integrating fundamental biological knowledge with metagenomics, metaproteomics, and other data to obtain a global picture of how a microbial community functions. The understanding of microbial growth and activities in oxidizing metal ions will be useful for improving applied microbial biotechnologies such as biomining, bioshrouding, biomonitoring and bioremediation of metals in acidic environments.

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Acknowledgements

Part of our work was supported by FONDECYT1030767 and 1070986, FONDEF D99I1026 and ICM P-05-001-F projects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Millenium Institute of Cell Dynamics and Biotechnology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Carlos A. Jerez

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  1. Carlos A. Jerez
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Correspondence to Carlos A. Jerez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biology, University of Waterloo, University Avenue W. 200, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada

    A. Singh

  2. Fac. Inter-Disciplinary &, University of Delhi, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi, 110021, India

    Ramesh C. Kuhad

  3. Dept. Biology, University of Waterloo, University Avenue W. 200, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Owen P. Ward

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Jerez, C.A. (2009). Biomining Microorganisms: Molecular Aspects and Applications in Biotechnology and Bioremediation. In: Singh, A., Kuhad, R., Ward, O. (eds) Advances in Applied Bioremediation. Soil Biology, vol 17. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-89621-0_13

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