Vezzola Michele, Tosi Solveig, Doria Enrico, Bonazzi Mattia, Alvaro Matteo, Sanfilippo Alessio
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
J Fungi (Basel). 2023 Sep 28;9(10):976. doi: 10.3390/jof9100976.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of in extracting metals from rocks simulating Martian regolith through biomining. The results indicated that the fungal strain produced organic acids, particularly oxalic acid, in the first five days, leading to a rapid reduction in the pH of the culture medium. This acidic medium is ideal for bioleaching, a process that employs acidolysis and complexolysis to extract metals from rocks. Additionally, the strain synthesized siderophores, molecules capable of mobilizing metals from solid matrices, as verified by the blue CAS colorimetric test. The secretion of siderophores in the culture medium proved advantageous for biomining. The siderophores facilitated the leaching of metal ions, such as manganese, from the rock matrix into the acidified water solution. In addition, the susceptibility of the Martian regolith simulant to the biomining process was assessed by determining the particle size distribution, acid composition after treatment, and geochemical composition of the rock. Although the preliminary results demonstrate successful manganese extraction, further research is required to optimize the extraction technique. To conclude, the strain exhibits promising abilities in extracting metals from rocks through biomining. Its use could prove useful in future in situ mining operations and environmental remediation efforts. Further research is required to optimize the process and evaluate its feasibility on a larger scale.
本研究的目的是评估通过生物采矿从模拟火星风化层的岩石中提取金属的潜力。结果表明，该真菌菌株在头五天产生了有机酸，尤其是草酸，导致培养基的pH值迅速降低。这种酸性培养基非常适合生物浸出，生物浸出是一种利用酸解和络合分解从岩石中提取金属的过程。此外，通过蓝色CAS比色试验验证，该菌株合成了铁载体，铁载体是一种能够从固体基质中 mobilizing 金属的分子。培养基中铁载体的分泌被证明对生物采矿有利。铁载体促进了金属离子（如锰）从岩石基质中 leaching 到酸化水溶液中。此外，通过测定岩石的粒度分布、处理后的酸组成和地球化学组成，评估了火星风化层模拟物对生物采矿过程的敏感性。虽然初步结果表明成功提取了锰，但还需要进一步研究来优化提取技术。总之，该菌株在通过生物采矿从岩石中提取金属方面表现出有前景的能力。它的使用在未来的原位采矿作业和环境修复工作中可能会证明是有用的。需要进一步研究来优化该过程并评估其在更大规模上的可行性。
