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Streptomyces rock phosphate ore biomining evaluation in vitro
Gamal M Abdelhamid1, Rofida S Abdelkader2, Susan E Weesa2
1Plant Department, Nuclear Research Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
|December 28, 2023
Summary
This study demonstrates Streptomyces phospholyticus
Area of Science:
- Microbial biotechnology
- Biomining
- Phosphate solubilization
Background:
- Biomining utilizes microorganisms to extract metals from ores.
- Rock phosphate ore (RPO) is a potential source of phosphorus.
- Streptomyces species show promise in phosphate solubilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficiency of Streptomyces in extracting phosphorus from RPO.
- To characterize a selected Streptomyces strain for RPO biomining.
- To evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation on biomining efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and screening of Streptomyces from RPO.
- Growth studies on various RPO concentrations using National Botanical Research Institute's phosphate growth agar (NBRIP).
- Analysis of phosphatase activity and phosphorus content before and after biotreatment.
Main Results:
- A potent Streptomyces strain was selected, showing growth and red pigmentation in RPO.
- The strain exhibited resistance to 32 KGy gamma irradiation.
- Significant reduction in RPO phosphorus content (from 16.5% to 8.4%) and high phosphatase activity were observed.
Conclusions:
- Streptomyces demonstrates significant potential for phosphate biomining from RPO, even at high concentrations.
- Gamma irradiation may act as a preservative, potentially enhancing biomining efficiency.
- This research is the first to explore Streptomyces for RPO phosphate mining in laboratory settings.
