Abstract: The invention relates to a bacterial strain isolated from the species Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans, named Cutipay, deposited in the DSMZ (under the denomination DSM 27601 on July the 29th, 2013); This strain is useful in mining bioleaching processes, as it is highly resistant to the toxic element chloride ion. The invention also relates to a bacterial inoculum to be used in the leaching of metal sulfide ores or metal concentrates, comprising Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans DSM 27601 strain Cutipay; and a method for bioleaching of ores where an ore is provided, which is selected from a metal sulfide ore or metal concentrate. Said ore is subsequently inoculated with the bacterial inoculum of the invention, and maintained at a pH of between 1 and 4, and at a temperature of between 10 and 60° C.

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 refers to a method to evaluate the sulfoxidizing activity in a microbiologic process detecting the presence of the spermidine biomarker produced by the micro organisms that participate in such process.

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 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: 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 present invention is related to an isolated chemolithotrophic bacterium belonging to species Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans named Licanantay, deposited in Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und 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 present invention is related to an isolated chemolithotrophic bacterial strain belonging to the specie Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, named “Wenelen” and deposited at the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH—DSMZ under classification number DSM 16786, the use of said bacteria for leaching ores or concentrates containing of metallic sulfide species and leaching processes based on the use of said bacteria or mixtures that contain said bacteria. This Wenelen DSM 16786 strain has an increased oxidizing activity, especially regarding chalcopyrite, when compared to known bacteria. Due to the former feature, this bacteria strain show great interest for biomining applications and it is presently being subjected to annotation processes after sequencing.

Abstract: The present invention makes known an array of nucleotididc sequences for rapidly and simultaneously identifying the presence of certain genes that codify proteins with activities relevant in biotechnology, present in a microbiological sample, and the method for using this array in the identification of the said genes. Specifically, genes that codify for proteins relevant in Biofilm formation, in CO2 fixation, in Energetic metabolism, for chemiotaxis and mobility, in iron oxidization, in nitrogen metabolism, in Sulfur assimilation, and in oxidation/reduction of sulfide compounds. This array of nucleotidic sequences is presented as a useful tool in biotechnology in all cases requiring an evaluation of the quality of a microbiological community.

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 microorganisms.

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: The present invention discloses a method to detect and identify microorganisms that are present in a sample, which comprises hybridizing total DNA isolated from the sample with DNA fragments from regions that codifies for tRNA-synthases, hereinafter ‘tRNA-synthases’, said fragments being selected due to their specificity for each taxon to be detected and identified. Furthermore, an array for detection and identification of microorganisms is disclosed, which comprises at least one tRNA-synthase fragment bound to its surface that is specific for each taxon to be detected and identified and has been designed according to the method described in the present document.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method that can be used to identify one DNA sequence or one specific group of DNA sequences from a complex biological sample. Diverse molecular biology methods require the use of short DNA sequences, called oligonucleotides, that are artificially synthesized from a description of their composing bases. The disclosed method allows the design of oligonucleotides useful for said molecular biology procedures, like probe design procedures, and is characterized by the construction of a database of reference sequences, the selection of a subset of sequences belonging to target organisms, the selection of candidate oligonucleotides from such sequences, the depuration of these candidate oligonucleotides according to hybridization specificity and thermodynamic stability criteria, and the sorting of such oligonucleotides according to their taxonomic specificity.

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 two-stage PCR known as nested PCR, where in the first stage, called primary PCR, 16S ribosomal DNA sequences (nucleotides 27 to 1492, with E. coli rDNA numbering) are amplified using universal primers for the Bacteria and Archaea kingdoms. In the second stage, these primary amplicons are used as template in qPCR reactions, called secondary PCR, in which internal universal primers for either Bacteria or Archaea kingdoms, as it corresponds, and specific primers designed in our laboratories for different taxons to be determined are used.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an isolated chemolithotrophic bacterium belonging to species Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans named Licanantay, deposited in Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und 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 present invention is related to an isolated chemolithotrophic bacterial strain belonging to the specie Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, named “Wenelen” and deposited at the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH—DSMZ under classification number DSM 16786, the use of said bacteria for leaching ores or concentrates containing of metallic sulfide species and leaching processes based on the use of said bacteria or mixtures that contain said bacteria. This Wenelen DSM 16786 strain has an increased oxidizing activity, especially regarding chalcopyrite, when compared to known bacteria. Due to the former feature, this bacteria strain show great interest for biomining applications and it is presently being subjected to annotation processes after sequencing.