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The Community Dynamics of Major Bioleaching Microorganisms During Chalcopyrite Leaching Under the Effect of Organics

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Abstract

To determine the effect of organics (yeast extract) on microbial community during chalcopyrite bioleaching at different temperature, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to analyze community dynamics of major bacteria applied in bioleaching. The results showed that yeast extract exerted great impact on microbial community, and therefore influencing bioleaching rate. To be specific, yeast extract was adverse to this bioleaching process at 30°C due to decreased proportion of important chemolithotrophs such as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. However, yeast extract could promote bioleaching rate at 40°C on account of the increased number and enhanced work of Ferroplasma thermophilum, a kind of facultative bacteria. Similarly, bioleaching rate was enhanced under the effect of yeast extract at 50°C owing to the work of Acidianus brierleyi. At 60°C, bioleaching rate was close to 100% and temperature was the dominant factor determining bioleaching rate. Interestingly, the existence of yeast extract greatly enhanced the relative competitiveness of Ferroplasma thermophilum in this complex bioleaching microbial community.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program (No. 2010CB630901), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 50621063, 30428014, and 30900203).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, China

    Qihou Li

  2. School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, China

    Ye Tian, Xian Fu, Huaqun Yin, Zhijun Zhou, Yiting Liang, Guanzhou Qiu, Jie Liu, Hongwei Liu, Yili Liang, Li Shen, Jing Cong & Xueduan Liu

  3. Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, China

    Ye Tian, Xian Fu, Huaqun Yin, Zhijun Zhou, Yiting Liang, Guanzhou Qiu, Jie Liu, Hongwei Liu, Yili Liang, Li Shen, Jing Cong & Xueduan Liu

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  1. Qihou Li
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Correspondence to Huaqun Yin or Xueduan Liu.

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Qihou Li, Ye Tian, and Xian Fu contributed equally to this study.

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Li, Q., Tian, Y., Fu, X. et al. The Community Dynamics of Major Bioleaching Microorganisms During Chalcopyrite Leaching Under the Effect of Organics. Curr Microbiol 63, 164–172 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-011-9960-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-011-9960-y

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