MICROBIAL DIVERSITY IN A BRAZILIAN ACID MODERATE DRAINAGE AND EXPERIMENTAL NICKEL BIOLEACHING SYSTEM

L ALVES; C BERNARDELLI; V A LEAO; M C TEIXEIRA; E DONATI

Advanced Material Research

Trans Tech Publications

Año: 2009 vol. 71 p. 117 - 120

1662-8985

The aim of this work was to identify the microbial diversity samples collected at an abandoned pyrite mine at Ouro Preto, Brazil. For this purpose we utilized Fluorescent in situ hybridization analyses (FISH) and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). Data obtained from these samples were compared with samples collected from a column system employed for zinc sulfide bioleaching as reference. Cells and natural samples (not enriched) were submitted to FISH using specific 16S rRNA probes. The extracted DNA was amplified using universal primers for bacterial 16S rRNA genes and analyzed by DGGE. For AMD samples the occurrence of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was confirmed but Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was not observed. On the other hand, Acithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans were present in all the bioleaching samples analyzed. Non-identified DNA bands were cloned and sequenced for complete characterization.