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Bacterial Diversity and Systematics pp 259–273Cite as

The Biotechnological Importance of Molecular Biodiversity Studies for Metal Bioleaching

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Part of the book series: Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series ((FEMS,volume 75))

Abstract

Bioleaching involves the solubilization of metals from solid minerals by the direct and/or indirect metabolic activity of mixed microbial populations. Commercial-scale operations have been used extensively for the recovery of copper and uranium from lowgrade ores, with an estimated 10% of the worlds copper currently being produced using dump or heap bioleach systems (Herbert, 1992). Over the past decade, the biological pretreatment of certain gold-bearing ore concentrates prior to cyanidation has also been dopted as an economically and environmentally superior option to roasting or pressure oxidation techniques (van Aswegen, 1993). Common to all of these commercial operations is the use of undefined microbial populations, usually enriched from natural acidic sites associated with the ore-body of interest. To our knowledge, there have been no reports of defined or introduced consortia being used successfully in commercial-scale bioleach operations. This is not surprising considering the incomplete understanding of sulfide biohydrometallurgy and bioleach ecology.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Brett M. Goebel & Erko Stackebrandt

    Present address: DSM-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Mascheroder Weg 1B, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Bacterial Diversity and Identification, Department of Microbiology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia

    Brett M. Goebel & Erko Stackebrandt

Authors
  1. Brett M. Goebel
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  2. Erko Stackebrandt
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

    Fergus G. Priest

  2. University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Alberto Ramos-Cormenzana

  3. Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany

    B. J. Tindall

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Goebel, B.M., Stackebrandt, E. (1994). The Biotechnological Importance of Molecular Biodiversity Studies for Metal Bioleaching. In: Priest, F.G., Ramos-Cormenzana, A., Tindall, B.J. (eds) Bacterial Diversity and Systematics. Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series, vol 75. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1869-3_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1869-3_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5760-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-1869-3

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