Mining with microbes

摘要: Microbes are playing increasingly important roles in commercial mining operations, where they being used the “bioleaching” of copper, uranium, and gold ores. Direct leaching is when microbial metabolism changes redox state metal harvested, rendering it more soluble. Indirect includes chemistry other cations that then coupled chemical oxidation or reduction harvested ion attack upon solubilization mineral matrix which physically embedded. In addition, bacterial cells to detoxify waste cyanide solution from gold-mining operations as “absorbants” cations. Bacterial may replace activated carbon alternative biomass. With an increasing understanding physiology, biochemistry molecular genetics, rational approaches improving these activities become possible