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Bioinformatics and Genomics of Iron- and Sulfur-Oxidizing Acidophiles

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Geomicrobiology: Molecular and Environmental Perspective

Abstract

Important protagonists in geomicrobiology are the “biomining” microorganisms which are used to recover valuable metals from mineral ores and concentrates. These microorganisms either convert insoluble metal sulfides to soluble metal sulfates, a process referred to as bioleaching, or weaken the ore by removing iron and/or sulfur making the valuable metal accessible to subsequent chemical treatment, a process known as biooxidation (Rawlings 2005; Rawlings and Johnson 2007). The drawback of this industrial biotechnology is the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) from uncontrolled abandoned mines, mine dumps or tailing dams, and acid rock drainage when sulfide-rich ores are exposed to air and weathering.

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges DS Holmes (Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile) and N Guiliani (Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile) to give her access to information before publication.

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  1. Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, C.N.R.S., Université de la Méditerranée, 31 chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France

    Violaine Bonnefoy

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  1. Violaine Bonnefoy
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Correspondence to Violaine Bonnefoy .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biology, University of New Mexico, Castetter Hall 167, Albuquerque, 87131-0001, USA

    Larry L. Barton

  2. , Faculty of Science, Dept. of Biochmistry, Masaryk University, Kortlarska 2, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic

    Martin Mandl

  3. , Department of Microbial Ecology, Fac. of, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, A-1090, Austria

    Alexander Loy

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Bonnefoy, V. (2010). Bioinformatics and Genomics of Iron- and Sulfur-Oxidizing Acidophiles. In: Barton, L., Mandl, M., Loy, A. (eds) Geomicrobiology: Molecular and Environmental Perspective. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9204-5_8

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