Mining Microbiome
Mining Microbiome Webinar Launch - Biotechnology for Exploration, Extraction, and Remediation Microorganisms play a key role in elemental and mineral biogeochemical transformation in the Earth’s biosphere. Sulphides, carbonates, iron oxides, silicates and many other economic minerals are biogenic in origin. All types of microbes, including prokaryotes and eukaryotes, in symbiotic relationships with each other as well as with higher order organisms such as plants, influence mineral formation and decomposition, metal speciation, mobility and toxicity, nutrient cycling and soil building. All of which are important throughout the entire mining value chain. Microorganisms thrive in environments that exist at extreme ends of the biosphere. Low pH environments (e.g. acid mine drainage), low temperature, high temperature (e.g. hydrothermal vents), high salinity and deep subsurface environments (e.g. gold mine) are all influenced by microorganisms. Recent advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatics have opened the door to large-scale spatial and temporal discovery and characterization of the mining microbiome.
