They could be useful in cleaning up pollution from mining operations. These are the Leptospiriiums, a genus of microorganisms that feed on iron.
There is a bacterium that feeds on metals, specifically iron. It is the Leptospirillum, a genus of microorganisms. What discovered this characteristic was the Chilean scientist Nadac Reales who was working on the use of microbes to improve copper extraction. The scholar realized that the bacterium could consume a nail in three days. The bacteria’s application in mining could be useful in cleaning up pollution from metal mining operations.
Chilean scientist’s research
Reales went looking for microbes that could consume metals in hostile locations, such as the Tatio geysers in the Atacama Desert, and found Leptospirillum that thrive in acidic environments and can tolerate high concentrations of metal. Reales tested their ability to dissolve metal objects and explained that “at first the bacteria took two months to disintegrate a nail.” However, he found that when deprived of other food sources, the hungry Leptospirillum consumed much more. In two years of selecting the most suitable strains, Reales was able to reduce the time required to three days.
Metal-eating bacteria
Leptospirillum poses no threat to humans or healthy environments, and Reales says its ability goes beyond repair. The reddish liquid left behind after all the iron has been eaten can be used to enhance copper recovery, replacing existing toxic leaching chemicals. Leptospirillum ferriphilum is an iron-oxidizing bacterium and is one of the species responsible for generating acid mine drainage. Reales’ discovery could have positive applications for reducing the environmental impact of mining, and the scientist founded Rudanac Biotec specifically to study the full capabilities of leptospirillum.
Another team of scientists has instead hypothesized that one day iron and nickel can be extracted from asteroids, while there is a bacterium that loves dirt and cleans up works of art. The genetically modified E.coli microbe, on the other hand, according to a recent research by the University of Edinburgh, can be used to turn plastic into vanilla.
Stefania Bernardini