L2M NSERC- Geomicrobial Mineral Exploration Surveys

加拿大拥有大量的矿藏，但钻探寻找矿藏的成本很高，而且对环境的要求也很高。因此，矿产勘探应用传统的地球化学法来测试土壤中地下沉积物的特征。地球微生物学是一项新兴技术，通过识别和计数少量土壤中的微生物物种，有可能探测地下沉积物。地球微生物学旨在补充和加强现有的地球化学和地球物理勘探，通过量化微生物群落组成如何响应来自更深地质地层的元素和化合物的向上迁移。我们已经证实，土壤细菌反映地球物理异常，因此可以用来绘制矿体足迹图。因此，我们正在扩大范围，在不同类型的矿藏上测试和验证这种方法，并汇编一个细菌物种数据库，包括与特定矿藏类型相关的群落组成模式。我们预计，地质微生物调查提供的额外一层数据可以帮助矿产勘探公司选择更好的钻探目标。这将为该行业带来经济效益，并通过避开原本不需要受到钻探作业干扰的地区来减少对环境的影响。这项技术的主要用户将是正在寻找新矿藏的矿产勘探公司。我们正在进行NSERC L2M，以探索中小型勘探公司和大型矿业公司之间的地质微生物调查市场。这将为NSERC i2i应用程序与感兴趣的行业合作伙伴奠定基础。

Canada has vast mineral deposits, but drilling to find them is expensive and environmentally intensive. Thus, mineral exploration applies traditional geochemistry to test soils for signatures of sub-surface deposits. Geomicrobiology is an emerging technology with the potential to detect subsurface deposits by identifying and enumerating microbial species in small volumes of soil. Geomicrobiology is intended to complement and enhance existing geochemical and geophysical exploration by quantifying how microbial community composition responds to the upward migration of elements and compounds from deeper geological formations.We have confirmed that soil bacteria reflect geophysical anomalies and so can be used to map orebody footprints. Consequently we are expanding to test and validate the approach on diverse types of deposits as well as to compile a database of bacterial species including community composition patterns that correlate with specific deposit types. We anticipate that the additional layer of data offered by geomicrobial surveys can help mineral exploration companies choose better drill targets. This would offer economic benefits to the industry, and also reduce environmental impacts by avoiding areas that otherwise would not need to be disturbed by drilling operations.The primary users of this technology will be mineral exploration companies that are searching for new mineral occurrences. We are pursuing NSERC L2M to probe the market for geomicrobial surveys among small to medium sized exploration companies as well as with large mining firms. This will set the stage for a NSERC i2i application with interested industrial partners.