Geobiological gold cycling: Golden opportunities for the minerals industry

该项目旨在为黄金勘探和加工开发新的地质生物学工具，这些工具植根于对地质生物学黄金循环的基本理解。由于生产成本高，澳大利亚黄金行业的可持续发展在很大程度上依赖于创新。然而，在我们对生物（地球）化学金分散和沉淀的基本理解方面存在许多差距。该项目旨在通过将细菌中的金动员和抗性的生化途径与其运输和生物矿化联系起来来填补这些空白。这将有助于开发基于蛋白质的生物传感器、生物指示剂和纳米载体。这将有助于开发勘探和生物累积技术，从而使采矿做法在经济上更可持续，在环境上更可行，例如提高次经济矿石的产量。

This project aims to develop new geobiological tools for gold exploration and processing that are rooted in a fundamental understanding of geobiological gold cycling. Given the high production costs, the sustainability of the Australian gold industry relies strongly on innovation. Yet, there are many gaps in our fundamental understanding of bio (geo)chemical gold dispersion and precipitation. This project aims to fill these gaps by linking biochemical pathways of gold mobilisation and resistance in bacteria to its transport and biomineralisation. This would enable the development of protein-based biosensors, bioindicators and nanovectors. These would support the development of exploration and bioaccumulation technologies that allow more economically sustainable and environmentally viable mining practices, such as enhancing production from subeconomic ore.