Abstract: Present invention describes a biotechnological procedure to remove magnetic sulfur impurities from iron concentrate, wherein includes: to bioleach iron concentrate ores agglomerated in heaps under temperature condition between 5 and 35° C., inoculating the iron concentrate ores with Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans cultures, with an inoculum concentration 104 and 106 cel/g and addition of water supplemented with nitrogen and phosphorous source (0.01 to 0.5 g (NH4)2HPO4/L), without potassium addition, adjusting pH between 1.0 and 9.0, and a feeding rate between 5 and 15 L/h/m2; this procedure allows a removal efficiency above 80% in 21 days, with a maximum iron loss of 3%.

Abstract: The invention refers to viable biomining microorganisms encapsulated in alginate capsules, called BioSigma Bioleaching Seeds or BBS, wherein the alginate capsules have iron (II) and/or iron (III) ions as the cross-linking cations, and the usage of these capsules in the inoculation of these microorganisms in bioleaching processes.

Abstract: The invention refers to viable biomining microorganisms encapsulated in alginate capsules, called BioSigma Bioleaching Seeds or BBS, wherein the alginate capsules have iron (II) and/or iron (III) ions as the cross-linking cations, and the usage of these capsules in the inoculation of these microorganisms in bioleaching processes

Abstract: A method of increasing the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in an Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans culture is disclosed. The method includes inhibiting an enzyme, such as citrate synthase, aconitase, or isocitrate dehydrogenase, in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle leading to alpha-ketoglutarate.

Abstract: A system for sulfur (S) bioadaptation in a stable dispersion form for feeding industrial bioreactors, which are composed of a tank with a liquid medium made up of a supernatant dilution or part of a sulfur oxidizing bacterial culture, a recirculating pump fed from the tank, and an eductor which is connected at its input to the recirculation pump, and connected at its output back to the tank, closing the recirculation circuit. There is a supply of S in fine powder form present in the eductor's feeding path. Where the supernatant or part of a sulfur oxidizing bacterial culture is diluted between 100 and 10 times in sulfur containing culture medium.

Abstract: The invention discloses an additive for bioleaching that makes it possible to increase the recovery of copper from sulfide ores. In which this additive is substantially made up of the Licanantase lipoprotein and a solution of sulfuric acid with a pH of 0.8 to 3. The Licanantase lipoprotein that has an amino acid sequence with at least 50% homology regarding the sequence defined in SEQ ID No. 1 or is the product of translation of a nucleotide sequence with at least 50% homology regarding the sequence defined in SEQ ID No. 2. It also protects the improved bioleaching process that includes adding the additive during the ore bioleaching process as defined in the present invention; and continuing with the habitual process, obtaining copper recoveries increased 5 to 20%.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method to identify and quantify environmental microorganisms useful in biomining processes. These microorganisms are basically 10, belonging to Bacteria: Acidiphilium sp., Leptospirillum sp., Sulfobacillus sp., Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans; and Archaea: Acidianus sp., Ferroplasma sp., Metallosphaera sp., Sulfolobus sp. and Thermoplasma sp. The method comprises performing a PCR with specific primers designed in our laboratories for different taxons SEQ ID No. 4 to SEQ ID No.: 407. With qPCR results and other data obtained from the analyzed sample, the microorganism concentration of each analyzed taxon present in the sample is calculated using a mathematical formula.

Abstract: The present invention corresponds to a commercial production process of ferric sulfate whose plant can be installed scaled to the requirements of the process of application of the bio-produced ferric solution based on fayalite slag generated in copper smelting plants. No previous process has established as its method of industrial application the use of these smelter slags in the bio-production of ferric sulfate solutions at concentrations above 20 g/L, including a stage of acid-slag leaching in dynamic heaps with control of generated silica and subsequent precipitation of colloidal silica and other impurities in a stirred reactor in the invented process. The ferrous solution free of colloidal silica and other impurities is subjected to a process of bio-oxidization of the clean ferrous solution by microorganisms adapted to these metallurgical solutions.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an isolated chemolithotrophic bacterium belonging to species Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans named Licanantay, deposited in Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen and Zellkulturen GmbH-DSMZ with number DSM 17318, and its use in pure form or in mixtures that contains it for bioleaching processes of minerals or sulfured metallic species concentrates. This Licanantay strain DSM 17318 has sulfur-oxidizing activity in both primary and secondary sulfured minerals, especially in the case of chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite, chalcocite, enargite and tennantite.

Abstract: The invention discloses an additive for bioleaching that makes it possible to increase the recovery of copper from sulfide ores. In which this additive is substantially made up of the Licanantase lipoprotein and a solution of sulfuric acid with a pH of 0.8 to 3. The Licanantase lipoprotein that has an amino acid sequence with at least 50% homology regarding the sequence defined in SEQ ID No. 1 or is the product of translation of a nucleotide sequence with at least 50% homology regarding the sequence defined in SEQ ID No. 2. It also protects the improved bioleaching process that includes adding the additive during the ore bioleaching process as defined in the present invention; and continuing with the habitual process, obtaining copper recoveries increased 5 to 20%.

Abstract: The present invention makes known an array of nucleotidic sequences for rapidly and simultaneously identifying the presence of certain genes that codify proteins with relevant activities in biotechnology present in a microbiological sample, and the method with which this array is used in the identification of the above mentioned genes. Specifically speaking, genes that codify for proteins relevant in the biofilm formation, in CO2 fixation, in energetic metabolism, for chemiotaxis and mobility, in iron oxidizing, in nitrogen metabolism, in sulfur assimilation, and in oxidation/reduction of sulphide compounds, are identified. This array of nucleotidic sequences is presented as a useful tool in biotechnology whenever evaluating the quality of a microbiological community is required.

Abstract: The present invention discloses functional plasmids in bacteria of the Acidithiobacillus genus, such as the Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus caldus species. And a method to successfully transform bacteria of the Acidithiobacillus genus, such as the Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus caldus species, with these plasmids.

Abstract: A method of increasing the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in an Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans culture is disclosed. The method includes inhibiting an enzyme, such as citrate synthase, aconitase, or isocitrate dehydrogenase, in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle leading to alpha-ketoglutarate.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method to identify and quantify environmental microorganisms useful in biomining processes. These microorganisms are basically 10, belonging to Bacteria: Acidiphilium sp., Leptospirillum sp., Sulfobacillus sp., Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans; and Archaea: Acidianus sp., Ferroplasma sp., Metallosphaera sp., Sulfolobus sp. and Thermoplasma sp. The method comprises performing a PCR with specific primers designed in our laboratories for different taxons SEQ ID No. 4 to SEQ ID No.: 407. With qPCR results and other data obtained from the analyzed sample, the microorganism concentration of each analyzed taxon present in the sample is calculated using a mathematical formula.

Abstract: The present invention corresponds to a commercial production process of ferric sulfate whose plant can be installed scaled to the requirements of the process of application of the bio-produced ferric solution based on fayalite slag generated in copper smelting plants. No previous process has established as its method of industrial application the use of these smelter slags in the bio-production of ferric sulfate solutions at concentrations above 20 g/L, including a stage of acid-slag leaching in dynamic heaps with control of generated silica and subsequent precipitation of colloidal silica and other impurities in a stirred reactor in the invented process. The ferrous solution free of colloidal silica and other impurities is subjected to a process of bio-oxidization of the clean ferrous solution by microorganisms adapted to these metallurgical solutions.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an array of DNA fragments from biomining microorganisms and a method to identify readily and simultaneously said microorganisms in a sample. This method is a useful tool in biomining, in every circumstance where a global understanding of the present microbiological diversity is required, or simply to assess the presence of some microorganism with biomining relevance, either on the mineral, or in a bioleaching heap, in the biomining laboratory or in any other circumstance involving biomining microorgarisms.

Abstract: The invention discloses an air-lift bioreactor, with internal recirculation, for producing sulfide-ore and minerals bioleaching solutions, with a phase-separating and solids-recirculation system without needing to impel the suspension containing the solids to the bioreactor by means of pumps, using diatomaceous earth and/or ferric precipitates as solid support to immobilize iron and sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. Specifically speaking, the invention describes a bioreactor that continuously produces bioleaching solutions containing microorganisms for inoculation and irrigation of sulfide-ore heaps and dumps processed by bioleaching. The bioreactor is stirred pneumatically, and is generally made up of an air diffuser, a reaction zone, a de-gasification zone, a solids separation zone, a culture media inlet, and a bioleaching solution outlet.

Abstract: A method of designing oligonucleotides useful in molecular biology techniques as PCR primers or in other techniques as identification and/or quantification probes is disclosed. The method permits designing specific oligonucleotides for the identification of a determined sequence in a metagenomic sample. The method includes selecting or constructing a database of reference sequences, selecting a subset of sequences belonging to target organisms, selecting candidate oligonucleotides from such sequences, depurating these candidate oligonucleotides according to hybridization specificity and thermodynamic stability criteria, obtaining a list of designed oligonucleotides that fulfill the hybridization specificity and thermodynamic stability criteria, producing materially by chemical synthesis the designed oligonucleotides, and selecting the oligonucleotides which comply with the requirements of the desired process.

Abstract: The invention publishes a process to increase the bioleaching speed of ores or concentrates of sulfide metal species in heaps, tailing dams, dumps, or other on-site operations. The process is characterized by the continuous inoculation of the ores or concentrates with isolated microorganisms of the Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans type, together with isolated microorganisms of the Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans type, with or without native microorganisms, in such a way that the total concentration of microorganisms in the continuous inoculation flow is of around 1×107 cells/ml to 5,6×107 cells/ml. In particular, the invention publishes the continuous inoculation of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Licanantay DSM 17318 together with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Wenelen DSM 16786 microorganisms, or with other native microorganisms at a concentration higher than 5×107 cells/ml.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an isolated chemolithotrophic bacterium belonging to species Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans named Licanantay, deposited in Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen and Zellkulturen GmbH-DSMZ with number DSM 17318, and its use in pure form or in mixtures that contains it for bioleaching processes of minerals or sulfured metallic species concentrates. This Licanantay strain DSM 17318 has sulfur-oxidizing activity in both primary and secondary sulfured minerals, especially in the case of chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite, chalcocite, enargite and tennantite.