Automated Microscopic Analysis of Metal Sulfide Colonization by Acidophilic Microorganisms.

ABSTRACT: Industrial biomining processes are currently focused on metal sulfides and their dissolution, which is catalyzed by acidophilic iron(II)- and/or sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. Cell attachment on metal sulfides is important for this process. Biofilm formation is necessary for seeding and persistence of the active microbial community in industrial biomining heaps and tank reactors, and it enhances metal release. In this study, we used a method for direct quantification of the mineral-attached cell population on pyrite or chalcopyrite particles in bioleaching experiments by coupling high-throughput, automated epifluorescence microscopy imaging of mineral particles with algorithms for image analysis and cell quantification, thus avoiding human bias in cell counting. The method was validated

SUBMITTER: Bellenberg S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6182891 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature