Microbes at the extreme: Mining with microbes

Abstract

The use of microorganisms to recover precious and base metals from mineral ores and concentrates is called biomining, or biohydrometallurgical processing. Biomining occurs through the natural ability of certain microorganisms to catalyse reactions, leading to the solubilisation of metals from the minerals. This process is used today in commercial operations to recover copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc and uranium from complex ores.