Herbal
Malus Sheydaie; Reza Haji Hosseini
Abstract
Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is the main bacteria involved in the uranium bioleaching in which the ferric ion acts as an electron acceptor and converts insoluble U+4 to soluble U+6. The oxidation process involved the electron transport chain which would occur through several periplasmic carriers. In ...
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Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is the main bacteria involved in the uranium bioleaching in which the ferric ion acts as an electron acceptor and converts insoluble U+4 to soluble U+6. The oxidation process involved the electron transport chain which would occur through several periplasmic carriers. In this research, the bacterium involved in uranium bioleaching process was mutated using UV radiation at doses of 60, 120 and 180 seconds. Mutant and wild bacteria were placed in the presence of various concentrations of uranium ore (5, 10, 15, 25 and 50 %) and their bioleaching yields were examined. Then, uranium extraction, variation of pH and Eh were measured in the 24 hour intervals. Finally, rus gene expressions of mutant and wild Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in the presence of various uranium ore were analyzed using Real time PCR method. The results showed that, the changes of Eh, pH and uranium extractions at bioleaching process by mutant and wild bacteria have been delayed in the presence of high pulp density in compare with lower one. The results of rus gene expressions in mutant and wild bacteria in the presence of ore different concentrations showed that mutations and ore concentration has been effective on the expression of this gene. It should be noted that, in the present project, the native bacteria were adapted to 50% uranium ore that is very significant at uranium bioleaching process.