Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/517266
48 www.resourceworld.com j u n e / j u l y 2 0 1 5 MININGWORLD Molecular biology, specifically the appli- cation of genomics, has great potential to address some well-known challenges faced by the mining industry: improving the efficiency of mineral recovery processes of operating of mines and promoting envi- ronmental sustainability. Genomics, as a science, aims to deci- pher and understand an organism's complete genetic information. Not unlike a blueprint, a genome contains all the instructions for making a particular organ- ism. Using this detailed information to better understand mining processes from a biological perspective is expected to lead to exciting, practical applications that will have a substantial impact on future cost competitiveness, safety and environmental protection. tHe oPPortuNity Many biological issues in mining can be addressed by genomics-based technolo- gies. Examples include monitoring the effectiveness of bioremediation and trou- bleshooting bioreactor performance to minimize risk of environmental impact at a significantly lower price point than chemi- cal treatment. Tools are being developed to measure, for example, levels of environ- mental toxicity in fish and wildlife habitat and to track and monitor species of inter- est and biodiversity. On the processing side, genomics-based tools in the proof-of-concept phase are being developed towards optimizing per- formance of heap-leaching for improved recovery of target minerals or to maximize extraction of residuals from lower grade ores. Genomics may even have a role in providing a new layer of information for the exploration toolbox by linking micro- bial fingerprints to deposits of interest. real-world aPPliCatioNs Many mining companies are beginning to increase investment into bioremedia- tion techniques to decontaminate mining wastewater. This process uses naturally occurring microbes that live in and around mine sites that 'digest' metals and chemi- cals and purify contaminated water. One of many microbes, thiobacillus ferrooxi- dans, is a specialized organism evolved to thrive on potentially toxic compounds, integrating them into their metabolism and neutralizing their adverse effects. Bioremediation has been around for many years but we are still learning how these toxin-digesting microbes work, how to best exploit their unique capabilities and how to optimize them to work better in challenging environments. Dr. Susan Baldwin, a professor in the University of British Columbia's Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, is helping move the science towards application – mak- ing bioremediation a more economical and accessible option – by applying genomics to harness these natural detoxifying processes. The real benefit of applying genomics to bioremediation lies in the understand- ing we can gain from how complex microbial communities live together, how the aquifer around mines contributes to remediation and, more importantly, how these microbial communities can be harnessed and directed towards reme- diation. It is imperative that we know what sort of environment (nutrients, food sources) and what conditions will maxi- Small is the new big by Dr. Gabe Kalmar, Vice President, Sectors for Genome British Columbia. Tiny MicRoBES infLuEncE GiAnT MininG opERATionS