Hidden Microcosmos in Slovak Gold Mine Rozalia – Microbial Gold Miners?

  • Lenka MALINIČOVÁ Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
  • Lea NOSÁĽOVÁ Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
  • Ivana TIMKOVÁ Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
  • Peter PRISTAŠ Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
  • Jana SEDLÁKOVÁ-KADUKOVÁ Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29227/IM-2020-01-47
Keywords: gold mine, biogeochemical cycle, bacterial diversity

Abstract

Biogeochemical cycling of gold involves dispersion and reconcentration of gold (Au) due to physical, chemical and biological processes
in Earth surface environments. These processes are evocated by a metabolic activity of different microbial taxa but many of them (and
also their biogeochemical potential) are still unexplored. Understanding the gold cycling is necessary for developing innovative, environmentally friendly gold processing techniques. Our experiments were aimed on isolation and identification of heterotrophic bacteria
from ore and ore storage dump samples collected in Rozália gold mine in Hodruša-Hámre. Using culture-based approach followed by
combination of MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling and 16S rDNA sequencing, 18 different bacterial genera were identified in studied
microbiota. The participation of several representatives of these genera in individual gold cycling steps has already been reported. The
real involvement of bacterial isolates in gold transformation reactions and their biogeochemical potential will be studied in subsequent
experiments.

Published
2020-11-20
How to Cite
MALINIČOVÁ, L., NOSÁĽOVÁ, L., TIMKOVÁ, I., PRISTAŠ, P., & SEDLÁKOVÁ-KADUKOVÁ, J. (2020). Hidden Microcosmos in Slovak Gold Mine Rozalia – Microbial Gold Miners?. Test, 2(1), 95–98. https://doi.org/10.29227/IM-2020-01-47
Issue
Vol 2 No 1 (2020): Inżynieria Mineralna
Section
ARTICLES

This journal permits and encourages authors to post items submitted to the journal on personal websites or institutional repositories both prior to and after publication, while providing bibliographic details that credit, if applicable, its publication in this journal.