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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Design and Construction of an Experimental Setup to Enhance Mineral Weathering through the Activity of Soil Organisms
Published on: November 10, 2023
Acidification-driven mineral weathering ability of bacteria: genetics, conservation, and regulations
Stéphane Uroz1, Cintia Blanco Nouche1, Ségolène Bouche1
1Université de Lorraine, Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Tree Microorganisms interactions (IAM), F-54000 Nancy, France; Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems (BEF), Champenoux, 54280, Nancy, France.
Abstract:
Mineral weathering (MWe) is a fundamental driver of nutrient release in nutrient-poor ecosystems, sustaining both nutrient cycling and plant growth. Among the strategies employed by MWe bacteria-acidification, chelation, and oxidoreduction reactions-acidification stands out as the most widespread but least understood at the ecological and genetic levels. This review synthesizes current knowledge on acidification-driven MWe bacteria, the factors determining their effectiveness, genetic determinants, and regulatory mechanisms revealed through interdisciplinary approaches (transcriptomics/proteomics, mineralogy, and geochemistry). We also highlight newly discovered genes and critically assess the limitations of current approaches, offering new perspectives on the mechanisms and evolution underlying bacterial contributions to MWe.
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