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Laboratory Simulation of an Iron(II)-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria
Published on: July 24, 2016
[Leptospirillum-like bacteria and their role in pyrite oxidation]
1Institute of Microbiology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Abovyan, 378510 Armenia. microbio@pnas.sci.am
Abstract:
Two strains of Leptospirillum-like bacteria isolated from dumps of Alaverdi and Akhtala sulfide ore deposits in Armenia were studied. The optimum and maximum temperatures for the growth of both strains were 37 and 40 degrees C, respectively. The pH optimum was 2.0-2.3. Bacterial growth and ferrous iron oxidation were inhibited by yeast extract. The pyrite-leaching activity of the Leptospirillum-like bacteria under mesophilic conditions was close to that of Acidithiobacillus ferroxidans and exceeded by 2.0-2.7 times the activity of these moderately thermophilic bacteria at 37 degrees C. The leaching of pyrite by Leptospirillum-like bacteria increased in the presence of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, particularly, in their association with a thermotolerant sulfur-oxidizing bacterium.
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