Importance of microbial ecology in the development of new mineral technologies

The study of the microbial ecology of extremely acidic, metal-rich environments has provided the foundation from which mineral processing technologies have developed. Many of the microorganisms that are known to have direct or supportive roles in commercial operations were first identified in (and isolated from) environmental samples. Microbial life in this ‘extreme’ environment is now known to be extensively diverse, as new species and genera of acidophiles continue to be discovered. The study of how acidophilic microorganisms interact with each other (a major tenet in microbial ecology) has an important bearing on mineral technologies; microbial consortia rather than single organisms are invariably found in commercial-scale bioleaching operations. Ecologically based studies have also helped to shed new insight into the biogeochemical processes which occur in mineral leaching environments. The application of molecular techniques, particularly when used in conjunction with improved methodologies in more traditional approaches, is providing new insights into environmental and applied aspects of acidophilic microbiology.