Abstract
The microbial solubilization of metals in acid environments is productively used in industrial processes called bioleaching of ores or biomining, to extract metals such as copper, gold, and uranium. This is an important biotechnological procedure used in many countries that generates several hundred thousand tons a year of metals such as copper. In addition, acidophilic microorganisms mobilize metals and produce acid mine drainage, causing serious environmental problems. However, bioremediation or removal of the toxic metals from contaminated soils can be achieved by employing the specific properties of microorganisms interacting with metals. Current approaches to the study of microorganisms consider the microorganism or the community as a whole, integrating fundamental biological knowledge with genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other data to obtain a global picture of how a microbial cell or a community functions. Understanding microbiological phenomena involved in bacteria–mineral interactions such as chemotaxis, quorum sensing, cyclic-bis(3′,5′) diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP) signaling, adhesion, biofilm formation, metals resistance, and biochemistry of iron and sulfur compounds oxidation will be extremely useful in monitoring and controlling the microbial community to improve the biomining process, making it faster and more efficient. It is expected that the use of different selected or genetically engineered strains with the highest metal resistance values, oxidation capacities, and other enhanced factors of importance in bioleaching of ores will play a key role for industrial biomining in the next decades.
Published Version
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