Engineered bacteria for treating mature fine tailings generated from bitumen mining processes**********

目前，尾矿的产生是加拿大油砂工业中沥青开采过程不可避免的后果。目前的处理策略无法使成熟细粒尾矿快速沉降或有效脱水。此外，目前广泛采用的絮凝策略既昂贵又有可能对环境产生负面影响。随着越来越多的尾矿被生产出来，对一种完整的、环保的、经济上可行的处理方法的需求变得越来越迫切。本文提出，利用原产于尾矿库的细菌，主动引起尾矿库的沉降和脱水。通过设计这些细菌表面来模仿传统聚合物的特性，这些特性已经在尾矿处理中被证明是有用的，预计这些自我复制的细菌将提供一种既环保又便宜的聚合物絮凝剂替代品。**此外，由于工程菌会与悬浮物一起沉淀，死亡后会自然脱水，因此**预计会形成更致密的成熟细粒尾矿。最后，通过基因工程**的安全性已被考虑使用最佳实践原则，以确保通过使用**这些细菌不会对环境造成危害。****

Currently the production of tailings is an unavoidable consequence of the bitumen mining process used in the**Canadian oil sands industry. Current treatment strategies are unable to cause rapid settling or the effective**dewatering of mature fine tailings. Moreover, the widespread deployment of current flocculation strategies is**both costly and has the potential to negatively impact the environment. As greater quantities of tailings are**produced the need for a complete, environmentally-friendly and economically viable treatment becomes more**urgent. It is proposed herein, that bacteria - already native to tailings ponds - will be engineered to actively**cause settling and dewatering of tailings. By engineering these bacteria surfaces to mimic the properties of**conventional polymers, already shown to be useful in tailings treatment, it is expected that these self-replicating**bacteria will provide both an environmentally safe and significantly cheaper alternative to polymer flocculants.**Moreover, as engineered bacteria will settle along with suspended solids and naturally dewater upon death, it is**expected that a more compact mature fine tailings will be formed. Finally, safety through genetic engineering**has been considered using best practice principles to ensure no environmental harm occurs through the use of**these bacteria.****