Faculty of Science
Microbiology and Immunology

Microbial indicators and detection of Cu-sulfide ore mineralization

Graphs depicting microbial abundance and diversity

Publication Date

Publication Journal

Geology

Author(s)

Bianca P. Iulianella Phillips, Rachel L. Simister, Shane D. Rich, Craig J.R. Hart, Peter A. Winterburn, and Sean A. Crowe

While the demand for copper is skyrocketing due to its applications in electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies, it is difficult to locate buried copper ore. In this paper, the authors used DNA sequencing to analyze the surface soil at known copper deposit sites. They identified specific changes in the composition of the microbial community resulting from the metal’s interaction with the soil. Such “bacterial fingerprints” offer a novel and accessible tool for mineral exploration.

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Microbiology and Immunology

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