{"id":27,"date":"2024-06-12T19:04:06","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T19:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cobaltoverde.cl\/cms\/?page_id=27"},"modified":"2025-09-29T17:30:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T17:30:42","slug":"biolixiviacion","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cobaltoverde.cl\/en\/el-proyecto\/biolixiviacion\/","title":{"rendered":"Bioleaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bioleaching is a process that uses living microorganisms to recover valuable metals. The Cobalto Verde project applies this biotechnology to extract metals associated with pyrite in IOCG (iron, copper, and gold oxide) mining tailings, which are predominant in the Coquimbo and Atacama regions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pyrite is a mineral that causes significant environmental problems due to its potential to produce acid mine drainage when it comes into contact with water and oxygen, as occurs when it rains.<\/span><\/p>\n

By feeding on the iron and sulfur that make up pyrite, microorganisms not only release the metals of interest, but also contribute to eliminating this environmental liability.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kobold Consortium for the recovery of valuable metals<\/b><\/h2>\n

To recover cobalt and other valuable metals from mining tailings and concentrates, researchers at the <\/span>Center for Systems Biotechnology at Andr\u00e9s Bello University<\/span><\/a> isolated a specific consortium of biomining microorganisms that they named Kobold.<\/span><\/p>\n

The microorganisms that make up this consortium come from samples taken from mining processes in the Atacama Region and were stabilized in the laboratory through a \u201cdomestication\u201d process, which included work in flasks, bioreactors, and columns to ensure consistent growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kobold consists of three main strains: <\/span>Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Acidithiobacillus caldus<\/span><\/i>, and <\/span>Leptospirillum sp<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the laboratory level, Cobalto Verde technology has achieved significant results:<\/span><\/p>\n