US-India Cooperative Research: Microbe-Mineral Interaction Mechanisms Relevant To Precious Metal Extraction with Environmental Control

0117627 Somasundaran描述：该奖项支持美国和印度的合作研究，题为“与贵金属开采和环境控制相关的微生物-矿物相互作用机制”。PIS将研究生物处理以提高金、银和铂等贵金属的回收，并将重点放在某些微生物附着在不同矿物表面并改变界面性质的机制上。这些机制到目前为止还不是很清楚。在浸出过程中，金属离子会积累；其中一些可能会对细菌产生毒性。有必要了解选定的细菌对有毒金属的耐受性，并开发更高效的耐金属菌株。范围：这项研究的合作者是哥伦比亚大学的P.Somasundaran和班加罗尔印度科学研究所的K.Natarajan，他们过去曾成功地工作过，并在主要的国际期刊上发表过论文。由于过去十年环境意识的增强，生物技术的使用作为一种环境友好、成本和能源高效的矿物选矿和环境控制手段已变得有吸引力。该项目由国际项目部和印度政府科学与技术部共同支持。

0117627Somasundaran Description: This award supports US-India cooperative research entitled "Microbe-Mineral Interaction Mechanisms Relevant to Precious Metal Extraction with Environmental Control." The PIs will investigate bioprocessing for the enhanced recovery of precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum and will focus on the mechanisms by which certain microbes adhere to different mineral surfaces and alter interfacial properties. These mechanisms are as yet not very clear. During leaching, metal ions accumulate; some of which may confer toxicity to bacteria. There is need to understand the toxic metal tolerance of selected bacteria and develop more efficient metal tolerant strains. Scope: The collaborators for this research, P. Somasundaran, Columbia University and K. Natarajan, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, have worked successfully in the past and have published in major international journals. Due to growing environmental awareness during the past decade, the use of biotechnology has become attractive as an environmentally benign, cost and energy efficient means for mineral beneficiation and environmental control. This project is jointly supported by the Division of International Programs and the Government of India's Department of Science & Technology.