Molecular basis analysis of chloride ion tolerance in acidophile bacteria used in bioleaching

• Grant number: 10/12476-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2010
• End date: May 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Laura Maria Mariscal Ottoboni
• Grantee: Thiago Miranda da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética (CBMEG). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Water used in the bioleaching process is an important factor and need to be taken into consideration during the evaluation of the process route. The microorganisms used in bioleaching usually present low tolerance to the presence of chloride ions, around 5 g/L, restricting the use of the technology due to the quality of the water or demanding the use of pre-treatment processes like the desalinization of the water. In this way, it is important to know the tolerance mechanisms to chloride ions in the bacteria Thiobacillus prosperus and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to develop a process with low capital and operational costs for the treatment of minerals like chalcopyrite. The association of the chloride ion with the bacteria activity helps the dissolution of secondary copper sulfides like covellite and calcocite. So, the aim of the project is to elucidate the molecular basis of T. prosperus and A. ferrooxidans tolerance to chloride ions by the analysis of global gene expression, using RNA -Seq, in cells grown in the presence and absence of chloride ions. The metabolic alterations of the cells will be investigated by FT-IR.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SILVA, Thiago Miranda da. Analysis of the molecular basis of chloride ion tolerance in acidophilic bacteria used in bioleaching. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia Campinas, SP.